Mode transition of the cylindrical Hall thruster with the near-anode cusp magnetic field

Abstract

Abstract There are two distinct discharge modes in a 200 W cylindrical Hall thruster with the near-anode cusp magnetic field. In mode I, a divergent plume is observed at a low discharge voltage. When the discharge voltage rises over 280 V, an apparent discharge mode transition occurs along with the sharp decreasing of discharge current (by 9.9%) and electron current (by 26%) and apparent narrowing of plume angle (by 12%), bringing a convergent plume (mode II). In mode I, the most probable ion energy of ion energy distribution function declines monotonically with the increasing of plume angle. However, a non-monotonic variation characteristic of most probable ion energy is indicated in mode II, which suggests that there are two ionization regions in this mode. These novel mode transition phenomena should be attributed to the unique near-anode cusp magnetic field. In low discharge voltage conditions (mode I), as the energies of the electron population are low, they are trapped in the near-axial magnetic mirror field, and a cylindrical ionization region along thruster axis is established. When the discharge voltage rises over the threshold voltage occurring mode transition, the energies of the electron population are enhanced and the energetic electrons could escape from the mirror field and reach the upstream crossed electric and magnetic fields. As a result, an additional ionization region related to E × B drift is formed in the upstream region. The competitive relationship between the upstream ionization related to E × B drift and the near-axial ionization related with magnetic mirror field should be the leading cause of mode transition.