Two-dimensional model of a stationary plasma thruster

TLDR

Stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are advanced propulsion devices that use a gas discharge to ionize and accelerate the propellant. The study presents a detailed two‑dimensional model of an SPT discharge. The model couples a particle simulation of neutral atoms and ions with a fluid description of electrons, using quasineutrality to compute the electric field and treating electron mobility and energy loss empirically with ad hoc parameters. Typical simulation results are shown.

Abstract

Stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are advanced propulsion devices that use a gas discharge to ionize and accelerate the propellant. We present in detail a two-dimensional model of an SPT discharge. The model combines a particle simulation of neutral atoms and ions with a fluid description of electrons, where the electric field is obtained from imposing quasineutrality. The electron mobility and energy loss are treated in an empirical way and characterized by ad hoc parameters. Typical simulation results are shown.