Y. Raitses

Secondary electron emission from dielectric materials of a Hall thruster with segmented electrodes

The discharge parameters in Hall thrusters depend strongly on the yield of secondary electron emission from channel walls. Comparative measurements of the yield of secondary electron emission at low energies of primary electrons were performed for several dielectric materials used in Hall thrusters with segmented electrodes. The measurements showed that at low energies of primary electrons the actual energetic dependencies of the total yield of secondary electron emission could differ from fits, which are usually used in theoretical models. The observed differences might be caused by electron backscattering, which is dominant at lower energies and depends strongly on surface properties. Fits based on power or linear laws are relevant at higher energies of primary electrons, where the bulk material properties play a decisive role.

Parametric investigation of miniaturized cylindrical and annular Hall thrusters

Conventional annular Hall thrusters become inefficient when scaled to low power. An alternative approach, a 2.6 cm miniaturized cylindrical Hall thruster with a cusp-type magnetic field distribution, was developed and studied. Its performance was compared to that of a conventional annular thruster of the same dimensions. The cylindrical thruster exhibits discharge characteristics similar to those of the annular thruster, but it has a much higher propellant ionization efficiency. Significantly, a large fraction of multicharged xenon ions might be present in the outgoing ion flux generated by the cylindrical thruster. The operation of the cylindrical thruster is quieter than that of the annular thruster. The characteristic peak in the discharge current fluctuation spectrum at 50–60 kHz appears to be due to ionization instabilities. In the power range 50–300 W, the cylindrical and annular thrusters have comparable efficiencies (15%–32%) and thrusts (2.5–12 mN). For the annular configuration, a voltage less t...

Space charge saturated sheath regime and electron temperature saturation in Hall thrusters

Existing electron-wall interaction models predict that secondary electron emission in Hall thrusters is significant and that the near-wall sheaths are space charge saturated. The experimental electron-wall collision frequency is computed using plasma parameters measured in a laboratory Hall thruster. In spite of qualitative similarities between the measured and predicted dependencies of the maximum electron temperature on the discharge voltage, the deduced electron-wall collision frequency for high discharge voltages is much lower than the theoretical value obtained for space charge saturated sheath regime, but larger than the wall recombination frequency. The observed electron temperature saturation appears to be directly associated with a decrease of the Joule heating rather than with the enhancement of the electron energy loss at the walls due to a strong secondary electron emission. Another interesting experimental result is related to the near-field plasma plume, where electron energy balance appears to be independent on the magnetic field.

Plasma measurements in a 100 W cylindrical Hall thruster

Conventional annular Hall thrusters become inefficient when scaled to low power. Their lifetime decreases significantly due to the channel wall erosion. Cylindrical Hall thrusters, which have lower surface-to-volume ratio and, thus, seem to be more promising for scaling down, exhibit performance comparable with conventional annular Hall thrusters of the similar size. Plasma potential, ion density, and electron temperature profiles were measured inside the 2.6 cm cylindrical Hall thruster with the use of stationary and slow movable emissive and biased Langmuir probes. Potential drop in the 2.6 cm cylindrical Hall thruster is localized mainly in the cylindrical part of the channel and in the plume, which suggests that the thruster should suffer lower erosion of the channel walls due to fast ion bombardment. Plasma density has a maximum of about (2.6–3.8)×1012 cm−3 at the thruster axis. At the discharge voltage of 300 V, the maximum electron temperature is about 21 eV, which is not enough to produce multiple...

Cross-field electron transport induced by a rotating spoke in a cylindrical Hall thruster

Rotating spoke phenomena have been observed in a variety of Hall thruster and other E × B devices. It has been suggested that the spoke may be associated with the enhancement of the electron cross-field transport. In this paper, the current conducted across the magnetic field via a rotating spoke has been directly measured for the first time in the E × B discharge of a cylindrical Hall thruster. The spoke current was measured using a segmented anode. Synchronized measurements with a high speed camera and a four-segment anode allow observation of the current as a function of time and azimuthal position. Upwards of 50% of the total current is conducted through the spoke, which occupies a quarter of the Hall thruster channel area. To determine the transport mechanism, emissive and Langmuir probes were installed to measure fluctuating plasma potential, electron density, and temperature. A perturbed, azimuthal electric field and density are observed to oscillate in-phase with the rotating spoke. The resulting ...

Kinetic effects in a Hall thruster discharge

Recent analytical studies and particle-in-cell simulations suggested that the electron velocity distribution function in E×B discharge of annular geometry Hall thrusters is non-Maxwellian and anisotropic. The average kinetic energy of electron motion in the direction parallel to the thruster channel walls (across the magnetic field) is several times larger than that in the direction normal to the walls. Electrons are stratified into several groups depending on their origin (e.g., plasma or channel walls) and confinement (e.g., lost on the walls or trapped in the plasma). Practical analytical formulas are derived for the plasma flux to the wall, secondary electron fluxes, plasma potential, and electron cross-field conductivity. Calculations based on these formulas fairly agree with the results of numerical simulations. The self-consistent analysis demonstrates that the elastic electron scattering in collisions with atoms and ions plays a key role in formation of the electron velocity distribution function ...

Enhanced ionization in the cylindrical Hall thruster

Conventional annular Hall thrusters do not scale efficiently to low power. An alternative approach, a cylindrical Hall thruster with a cusp-type magnetic field distribution, has been investigated. A relatively large 9-cm-diam version of a cylindrical thruster, operated in 300–1000 W power range, and the 2.6 cm miniaturized cylindrical Hall thruster, operated in the power range 50–300 W, exhibited performance comparable with conventional annular Hall thrusters of the similar size. The cylindrical thrusters have unusually high propellant utilization, compared to conventional Hall thrusters. Numerical simulations, performed within the framework of a quasi-one-dimensional stationary thruster model, show that the increase in the propellant utilization does not appear to be quantitatively explained by a reduction of plasma wall losses. A more complete theoretical model, likely including kinetic effects, will be necessary to explain the observed propellant utilization effect.

Maximizing ion current by space-charge neutralization using negative ions and dust particles

Ion current extracted from an ion source (ion thruster) can be increased above the Child–Langmuir limit if the ion space charge is neutralized. Similarly, the limiting kinetic energy density of the plasma flow in a Hall thruster might be exceeded if additional mechanisms of space-charge neutralization are introduced. Space-charge neutralization with high-mass negative ions or negatively charged dust particles seems, in principle, promising for the development of a high current or high energy density source of positive light ions. Several space-charge neutralization schemes that employ heavy negatively charged particles are considered. It is shown that the proposed neutralization schemes can lead, at best, only to a moderate but nonetheless possibly important increase of the ion current in the ion thruster and the thrust density in the Hall thruster.

Studies of Non-Conventional Configuration Closed Electron Drift Thrusters

In this paper, we review recent results obtained for segmented electrode and cylindrical Hall thrusters. A low sputtering graphite segmented electrode, placed at the exit of the annular thruster, is shown to affect the plasma potential distribution in the ceramic channel. This effect appears to be correlated with an observed plume reduction compared to a conventional, nonsegmented thruster. In preliminary experiments a 3-cm thruster was operated in the 50-200 W power range. Two operating regimes, stable and oscillating, were observed and investigated.

Nonlinear structures and anomalous transport in partially magnetized E×B plasmas

Nonlinear dynamics of the electron-cyclotron instability driven by the electron E×B current in a crossed electric and magnetic field is studied. In the nonlinear regime, the instability proceeds by developing a large amplitude coherent wave driven by the energy input from the fundamental cyclotron resonance. Further evolution shows the formation of the long wavelength envelope akin to the modulational instability. Simultaneously, the ion density shows the development of a high-k content responsible for wave focusing and sharp peaks on the periodic cnoidal wave structure. It is shown that the anomalous electron transport (along the direction of the applied electric field) is dominated by the long wavelength part of the turbulent spectrum.