Electron energy distribution function in a low-power Hall thruster discharge and near-field plume

0491731 - ÚFA 2019 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Tichý, M. - Petin, A. - Kudrna, P. - Horký, Miroslav - Mazouffre, S.
Electron energy distribution function in a low-power Hall thruster discharge and near-field plume.
Physics of Plasmas. Roč. 25, č. 6 (2018), č. článku 061205. ISSN 1070-664X. E-ISSN 1089-7674
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1401
Program: Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae
Institutional support: RVO:68378289
Keywords : stationary plasma thrusters * langmuir probe * positive-ions * simulations * propulsion
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 1.913, year: 2018
https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.5017578

Electron temperature and plasma density, as well as the electron energy distribution function (EEDF), have been obtained inside and outside the dielectric channel of a 200W permanent magnet Hall thruster. Measurements were carried out by means of a cylindrical Langmuir probe mounted onto a compact fast moving translation stage. The 3D particle-in cell numerical simulations complement experiments. The model accounts for the crossed electric and magnetic field configuration in a weakly collisional regime where only electrons are magnetized. Since only the electron dynamics is of interest in this study, an artificial mass of ions corresponding to m(i) = 30 000m(e) was used to ensure ions could be assumed at rest. The simulation domain is located at the thruster exit plane and does not include the cathode. The measured EEDF evidences a high-energy electron population that is superimposed onto the low energy bulk population outside the channel. Inside the channel, the EEDF is close to Maxwellian. Both the experimental and numerical EEDF depart from an equilibrium distribution at the channel exit plane, a region of high magnetic field. We therefore conclude that the fast electron group found in the experiment corresponds to the electrons emitted by the external cathode that reach the thruster discharge without experiencing collision events. Published by AIP
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0285357