Abstract The electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) neutralizer is a component of the 10-cm electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster (ECRIT) and its performance has a great effect on the overall performance of the thruster. To clarify the mechanisms of electron extraction of the ECR neutralizer, a particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) solver was developed to simulate the plasma in the ECR neutralizer. This paper equivalently simplified the three-dimensional model of the ECR neutralizer into a two-dimensional axisymmetric one according to experimental results and the circumferential electric drift of charged particles. Hence, a two-dimensional three-velocity component full-particle calculation model was used in the solver. Through analyzing ECR heating mechanism, the validity and accuracy of the equivalent ring antenna were discussed. The distribution of plasma parameters and extracted electron current were obtained by tracking the motion of electrons and singly charged xenon ions, simulating the elasticity, excitation, ionization and Coulomb collisions. The results showed that the density of neutral particles can be adjusted to coincide simulation current with experiment. It was also found that due to the magnetic field gradient, plasma will migrate to the magnetic well, where the ion was in dominant position to form a potential well and hinder the extraction of electron.

    Highlights Based on experiment, an equivalently 2D axisymmetric full PIC/MCC model was derived. The model can simulate the plasma property of neutralizer and save computation time. The simulation reveals the electron extracting mechanism of the ECR neutralizer.


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    Title :

    Equivalent two-dimensional numerical simulation of an ECR neutralizer


    Contributors:
    Fu, Yuliang (author) / Yang, Juan (author) / Jin, Yizhou (author) / Xia, Xu (author) / Meng, Haibo (author)

    Published in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 164 ; 387-392


    Publication date :

    2019-07-26


    Size :

    6 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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