An acoustic singularity of a plasma flow in a hall accelerator (thruster)

Abstract

The paper describes the conditions in which it is possible to get over the singularity at the acoustic point in the stationary equations of 1D hydrodynamics describing the Hall plasma accelerator. A number of partial numerical solutions to the nonlinear system of equations for the velocity, current, and potential at which the particle flow attains and exceeds the speed of sound are found. The gas flow volume and total discharge current are assumed to be constant, and plasma is assumed to be quasi-neutral.