Thomas A. Marks and Alex A. Gorodetsky 10.7302/27333
IEPC paper 2025-129
Presented at the 39th International Electric Propulsion, London, United Kingdom, September 14–19, 2025.
The open-source particle-in-cell code WarpX is used to perform 2-D axial-azimuthal Hall thruster simulations including a neutral population and self-consistent ionization using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. The results of these simulations are assessed in comparison to similar simulations which use a static particle source. The time-averaged simulation outputs for the DSMC simulations differ from those without; in particular, the electron temperature and anomalous drag force are higher and the electric field is less strongly-peaked. The time-dependent outputs show strong ion density oscillations, consistent with the well-known Hall thruster breathing mode. The relative phasing of this oscillation with respect to other plasma properties is examined, with inconclusive results. Ion recombination at the anode is assessed and found to increase the amplitude of breathing mode oscillations. Numerical challenges encountered in these simulations are discussed, particularly the large fluctuations in particle count during thruster startup and over the course of the oscillations. The findings highlight the advantages of GPU computing and semi-implicit schemes in enabling kinetic Hall thruster simulations to reach new physical regimes, as well as avenues for future improvement.
Cite as Marks, Thomas A. and Gorodetsky, Alex A. “Towards kinetic axial-azimuthal Hall thruster simulations including ionization”. 39th International Electric Propulsion Conference, London, United Kingdom. September 14-19, 2025. IEPC-2025-119
@inproceedings{Marks_2025_IEPC_WarpX,
title = {Towards kinetic axial-azimuthal {Hall} thruster simulations including ionization},
booktitle = {39th {{International Electric Propulsion Conference, London, United Kingdom}}},
author = {Marks, Thomas A. and Gorodetsky, Alex A.},
year = {2025},
month = {sept},
doi = {10.7302/27333},
url = {https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/27333},
notes = {IEPC-2025-129},
}