Hybrid–PIC simulation of sputtering product distribution in a Hall thruster  

作　　者：Xifeng CAO Guanrong HANG Hui LIU Yingchao MENG Xiaoming LUO Daren YU 曹希峰;杭观荣;刘辉;孟颖超;罗晓明;于达仁(Lab of Plasma Propulsion, Mail Box 458, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT);Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion)

机构地区：[1]Lab of Plasma Propulsion, Mail Box 458, Harbin Institute of Technology （HIT）, Harbin 150001, People＇s Republic of China [2]Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, Shanghai 201112, People＇s Republic of China

出　　处：《Plasma Science and Technology》2017年第10期44-51,共8页等离子体科学和技术（英文版）

摘　　要：Hall thrusters have been widely used in orbit correction and the station-keeping of geostationary satellites due to their high specific impulse, long life, and high reliability. During the operating life of a Hall thruster, high-energy ions will bombard the discharge channel and cause serious erosion. As time passes, this sputtering process will change the macroscopic surface morphology of the discharge channel, especially near the exit, thus affecting the performance of the thruster.Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on the motion of the sputtering products and erosion process of the discharge wall. To better understand the moving characteristics of sputtering products, based on the hybrid particle-in-cell（PIC） numerical method, this paper simulates the different erosion states of the thruster discharge channel in different moments and analyzes the moving process of different particles, such as B atoms and B~＋ ions. In this paper,the main conclusion is that B atoms are mainly produced on both sides of the channel exit, and B~＋ ions are mainly produced in the middle of the channel exit. The ionization rate of B atoms is approximately 1%.Hall thrusters have been widely used in orbit correction and the station-keeping of geostationary satellites due to their high specific impulse, long life, and high reliability. During the operating life of a Hall thruster, high-energy ions will bombard the discharge channel and cause serious erosion. As time passes, this sputtering process will change the macroscopic surface morphology of the discharge channel, especially near the exit, thus affecting the performance of the thruster.Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on the motion of the sputtering products and erosion process of the discharge wall. To better understand the moving characteristics of sputtering products, based on the hybrid particle-in-cell（PIC） numerical method, this paper simulates the different erosion states of the thruster discharge channel in different moments and analyzes the moving process of different particles, such as B atoms and B~＋ ions. In this paper,the main conclusion is that B atoms are mainly produced on both sides of the channel exit, and B~＋ ions are mainly produced in the middle of the channel exit. The ionization rate of B atoms is approximately 1%.

关 键 词：Hall thruster sputtering erosion hybrid–PIC 

分 类 号：V439.4[航空宇航科学与技术—航空宇航推进理论与工程]