Numerical study of low-frequency discharge oscillations in a 5kW Hall thruster  

作　　者：Le YANG Tianping ZHANG Juanjuan CHEN Yanhui JIA 杨乐;张天平;陈娟娟;贾艳辉(Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics Laboratory, Lanzhou Institute of Physics)

机构地区：Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics Laboratory,Lanzhou Institute of Physics Lanzhou 730000,People＇s Republic of China

出　　处：《Plasma Science and Technology》2018年第7期145-151,共7页等离子体科学和技术（英文版）

摘　　要：A two-dimensional particle-in-cell plasma model is built in the R-Z plane to investigate the low- frequency plasma oscillations in the discharge channel of a 5 kW LHT-140 Hall thruster. In addition to the elastic, excitation, and ionization collisions between neutral atoms and electrons, the Coulomb collisions between electrons and electrons and between electrons and ions are analyzed. The sheath characteristic distortion is also corrected. Simulation results indicate the capability of the built model to reproduce the low-frequency oscillation with high accuracy. The oscillations of the discharge current and ion density produced by the model are consistent with the existing conclusions. The model predicts a frequency that is consistent with that calculated by the zero-dimensional theoretical model.A two-dimensional particle-in-cell plasma model is built in the R-Z plane to investigate the low- frequency plasma oscillations in the discharge channel of a 5 kW LHT-140 Hall thruster. In addition to the elastic, excitation, and ionization collisions between neutral atoms and electrons, the Coulomb collisions between electrons and electrons and between electrons and ions are analyzed. The sheath characteristic distortion is also corrected. Simulation results indicate the capability of the built model to reproduce the low-frequency oscillation with high accuracy. The oscillations of the discharge current and ion density produced by the model are consistent with the existing conclusions. The model predicts a frequency that is consistent with that calculated by the zero-dimensional theoretical model.

关 键 词：Hall thruster low-frequency oscillations SHEATH Coulomb collisions 

分 类 号：O562.5[理学—原子与分子物理] TD452[理学—物理]