Effect of magnetic field profile on the anode fall in a Hall-effect thruster discharge

Abstract

The effect of the magnetic field configuration on the anode fall in an E⃗×B⃗ discharge of a Hall thruster is studied both experimentally and theoretically. Plasma potential, electron temperature, and plasma density in the near-anode region are measured with a biased probe in three configurations of the magnetic field. It is observed that the anode fall in a Hall thruster can be changed from negative to positive by creating a magnetic field configuration with a zero magnetic field region. Similar configurations are utilized in some advanced Hall thrusters, like an ATON thruster. Results of the measurements are employed to model a Hall thruster with different magnetic field configurations, including the one with a zero-field region. Different anode sheath regimes observed experimentally are used to set the boundary conditions for the quasineutral plasma. Numerical solutions obtained with a hydrodynamic quasi-one-dimensional model suggest that varying the magnetic field configuration affects the electron mobility both inside and outside the channel, as well as the plasma density distribution along the axis.