Sheath Analysis of Conducting Channel Walls in Anode-Layer Hall Thruster with Acceleration Zone Shifted Downstream

Abstract

Channel wall sheath thickness in an anode-layer Hall thruster RAIJIN66 was investigated by a two-dimensional hybrid simulation and a one-dimensional sheath model. A hybrid particle-fluid model with the quasineutrality assumption was used to obtain the wall ion flux and plasma property at plasma-sheath edge. The plasma property inside the sheath was estimated by the nonneutral sheath model. The simulated ion wall current density at the channel exit was 100 A/m2, and the estimated sheath thickness was 0.64 mm. If the wall ion current density is reduced to 1/20 of this value, the sheath region will be extended to cover 50\% of the channel width.

6 pages, 9 figures