DEVELOPMENT OF A 1D HYBRID FLUID-PIC PLASMA MODEL OF LOW POWER HALL THRUSTERS FOR SMALL SPACECRAFT

Abstract

Electric spacecraft propulsion allows for significant increases in efficiency and specific impulse over traditional chemical combustion rockets. Hall thrusters are a form of electric propulsion that use a crossed magnetic and electric field to trap electrons and accelerate ions to provide thrust, and their relatively low thrust and high impulse makes them idea for micropropulsion systems on small satellites. The traditionally calculated cross field mobility in Hall thrusters is significantly lower than what is observed experimentally. The mechanism of this anomalous electron mobility in Hall thrusters is not comprehensively understood, and appears to be more significant in lower power devices. To examine anomalous diffusion, and to design and characterize the performance of low power thrusters, numerical simulation provides an ideal avenue. This thesis presents the development and design of a one-dimensional hybrid fluid particle-in-cell simulation software for the characterization and investigation of low power Hall thrusters, and the use of said model to theoretically increase the efficiency of an existing low power thruster.