Numerical simulation of the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster

Abstract

The particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster. We present the discharge characteristics at different stages (initial stage, development stage, and stable stage) according to the trend of the discharge current with time. The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current. During the start-up process, the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current. The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.

Special issue on selected papers from CEPC 2021

“…This special issue is organized from the papers presented in the CEPC 2021. Interested readers can find the papers concerning investigations of plume thermal effect of the LIPS-200 ion thruster [1], the characteristics of non-Maxwellian magnetized sheath in Hall thruster acceleration region [2], the effect of anode axial position on the performance of a miniaturized cylindrical Hall thruster with a cusptype magnetic field [3], early experimental investigation of the C12A7 hollow cathode fed on iodine [4], experimental study on the degradation of the C12A7 hollow cathode [5], numerical simulation of the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster [6], micro-impulse and plasma plume produced by irradiating aluminum target with nanosecond laser pulses in double-pulse scheme [7], simulation of * Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.…”