Study of electron transport in a Hall thruster by axial–radial fully kinetic particle simulation
- JAXA, 7-44-1 Jindaiji, Higashi-machi, Chofu-shi, Tokyo (Japan)
- Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo (Japan)
- IHI Aerospace Co. Ltd., 900 Fujiki, Tomioka-shi, Gunma-ken 370-2398 (Japan)
- IHI Corporation, Shin-nakahara-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-8501 (Japan)
Electron transport across a magnetic field in a magnetic-layer-type Hall thruster was numerically investigated for the future predictive modeling of Hall thrusters. The discharge of a 1-kW-class magnetic-layer-type Hall thruster designed for high-specific-impulse operation was modeled using an r-z two-dimensional fully kinetic particle code with and without artificial electron-diffusion models. The thruster performance results showed that both electron transport models captured the experimental result within discrepancies less than 20% in thrust and discharge current for all the simulated operation conditions. The electron cross-field transport mechanism of the so-called anomalous diffusion was self-consistently observed in the simulation without artificial diffusion models; the effective electron mobility was two orders of magnitude higher than the value obtained using the classical diffusion theory. To account for the self-consistently observed anomalous transport, the oscillation of plasma properties was speculated. It was suggested that the enhanced random-walk diffusion due to the velocity oscillation of low-frequency electron flow could explain the observed anomalous diffusion within an order of magnitude. The dominant oscillation mode of the electron flow velocity was found to be 20 kHz, which was coupled to electrostatic oscillation excited by global ionization instability.
- OSTI ID:
- 22486492
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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