A Review of Hall Thruster Plume Modeling

Hall thrusters are an attractive form of electric propulsion that are being cleveloped to replace chemical systems for many on orbit propulsion tasks on communications satellites. A major concern in the use of these devices is the possible damage their plumes may cause to the host spacecraft. In this paper, the present status of computer modeling of Hall thruster plumes is reviewed in the contest of being able to address spacecraft integration concerns. A simple, empirical model is described that can he used as a quick, engineering tool. However, accurate modeling of Ha!! thruster plumes requires use of kinetic simulation techniques. In particular, particle methods are discussed with respect to the physical modeling required to accurately simulate the plasma and collision processes that are significant in Hall thruster plumes. Through direct comparison between simulation results and detailed experimental measurements, it is demonstrated that the computer moc!els have reached a certain level of maturity. Several areas are outlined where further work is needed,