Particle-in-cell simulations of Hall thruster acceleration and near plume regions

The results of 1-D azimuthal, and 2-D z-theta, particle-in-cell simulations of Hall thruster acceleration and near plume regions are reported. The 1-D simulations show that fast moving electron waves drive coherent, large amplitude, ion acoustic waves. The ion waves become azimuthally coherent too quickly for ion sound to be the cause; the coherence comes from early electron waves. 2-D simulations with only fast moving, main beam, ions result in ion acoustic wave amplitudes much lower than those in the 1-D calculations. The addition of a small amount of ionization in the domain, at a rate consistent with Hall thruster parameters, causes the potential profile to divide into two distinct regions. In the upstream portion of the domain, the potential profile is very steep; in the downstream portion, the potential profile is almost flat. Electron transport in the two regions is discussed. Published by AIP Publishing.