Further study of the effect of the downstream plasma condition on accelerator grid erosion in an ion thrusterFurther numerical results are presented of earlier particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo calculations of accelerator grid erosion in an ion thruster. A comparison between numerical and experimental results suggests that the accelerator grid impingement is primarily due to ions created far downstream from the accelerator grid. In particular, for the same experimental conditions as those of Monheiser and Wilbur at Colorado State University, it is found that a downstream plasma density of 2 x 10 exp 14/cu m is required to give the same ratio of accelerator grid impingement current to beam current (5 percent). For this condition, a potential hill is found in the downstream region of 2.5 V.
Document ID
19920071568
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Peng, Xiaohang (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Ruyten, Wilhelmus M. (Tennessee, University; Calspan Center for Space Transportation and Applied Research, Tullahoma, United States)
Keefer, Dennis (Tennessee, University Tullahoma, United States)