Abstract
A three-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation strategy has been implemented to simulate the acceleration stage of a magnetically enhanced plasma thruster (MEPT). The study has been performed with the open-source code Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software (SPIS). The tool has been copiously modified to simulate properly the dynamics of a magnetized plasma plume. A cross-validation of the methodology has been done with Starfish, a two-dimensional open-source PIC software. Two configurations have been compared: (i) in the absence of a magnetic field and (ii) in the presence of a magnetic field generated by a coil with maximum intensity of 300 G at the thruster outlet. The results show a reduction of the plume divergence angle, an increase of ion speed and an increase of the specific impulse in the presence of the magnetic nozzle. The simulations presented in this study are representative of the operative conditions of a 50 W MEPT. Nonetheless, the methodology adopted can be extended to handle the magnetized plasma plume of several other types of thrusters such as electron cyclotron resonance and applied field magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Cited by
7 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献