Physical Parametric Studies in an Ion Engine Discharge Chamber Using a PIC-MCC Simulation

Abstract

elds inside the discharge chamber has been developed and added to our existing Particle-in-Cell - Monte Carlo Collision (PIC-MCC) code to model the ion engine discharge chamber plasma. Validation of the numerical tool has been made on NASA’s 3-ring, NSTAR discharge chamber at 2.29 kW input power, 1.76 A beam current, and 1100 V beam voltage thruster operating condition. Comparisons of numerical simulation results with experimental measurements are found to have good agreement in terms of particle distribution results, current results, and discharge chamber performance results. Steady state results are given for particles number density distributions, kinetic energy, particle energy loss mechanisms, and current density collected at the chamber walls. Physical parametric eects such as electric elds and particle collisions inside the ion engine discharge chamber are also studied with the developed PIC-MCC code. Our simulation results indicate with the new approach of dynamic electric eld solving eectively helps in considering the charge separation eects between the charge particles. The inelastic particle collision processes such as neutral excitation and three-body electron-ion recombination are found to be important in the plasma production inside the discharge chamber. An alternative magnetic eld design study is also performed on the NSTAR discharge chamber using our PIC-MCC code.