Magnetic Field Effects on Simulating the Plume of an Anode Layer Hall Thruster

Two dimensional axi-symmetric simulations of xenon plasma plume flow fields from a D55 anode layer Hall thruster are performed with a hybrid particle-fluid method. The magnetic field surrounding the Hall thruster exit is included in the calculation. In this simulations, the Boltzmann model and a detailed fluid model are used to compute the electron properties, the direct simulation Monte Carlo method models the collisions of heavy particles, and the Particle-In-Cell method models the transport of ions in an electric field. The plasma properties obtained from the hydrodynamic model are used as boundary conditions for the simulations. The accuracy of the simulation is assessed through comparison with various measured data. It is found that a magnetic field significantly affects the profile of the plasma in the Detailed model. For instance, in the case of zero magnetic field, the plasma has a potential about 80 V at 10 mm from the thruster exit, while in the case of a magnetic field included, the plasma potential is about 60 V. Results predicted by the Detailed model with the magnetic field are found to be in better agreement with experimental data.