Theoretical investigations on plasma processes in the Kaufman thruster

The lateral neutralization of ion beams is treated by standard mathematical methods for first order, nonlinear partial differential equations. A closed form analytical solution is derived for the transient lateral beam neutralization for electron injection by means of a von Mises transformation. A nonlinear theory of the longitudinal ion beam neutralization is developed using the von Mises transformation. By means of the Lenard-Balescu equation, the intercomponent momentum transfer between stable, collisionless electron and ion components is calculated.