Temperature Gradient in Hall Thrusters

Technical Report · Mon Nov 24 00:00:00 EST 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/820206· OSTI ID:820206

Staack, D; Raitses, Y; Fisch, N J

Plasma potentials and electron temperatures were deduced from emissive and cold floating probe measurements in a 2 kW Hall thruster, operated in the discharge voltage range of 200-400 V. An almost linear dependence of the electron temperature on the plasma potential was observed in the acceleration region of the thruster both inside and outside the thruster. This result calls into question whether secondary electron emission from the ceramic channel walls plays a significant role in electron energy balance. The proportionality factor between the axial electron temperature gradient and the electric field is significantly smaller than might be expected by models employing Ohmic heating of electrons.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 820206
• Report Number(s): PPPL-3905; TRN: US0305720
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 24 Nov 2003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
CERAMICS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
ENERGY BALANCE
HEATING
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PROBES
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THRUSTERS
PLASMA WALL INTERACTION
HALL THRUSTERS