On electron boundary conditions in PIC plasma thruster plume simulations

Abstract

The collisionless, steady state expansion into vacuum of a warm electron, cold ion plasma thruster plume is studied with a set of new electrostatic particle-in-cell model and globally-consistent boundary conditions that discriminate between reflected and escaping electrons. As a proof of concept, several simulations are analyzed. Results from both two-dimensional planar and axisymmetric plasma plumes are discussed. In particular, the electrons' anisothermal and anisotropic behavior in the plume is recovered.