Simulation of a capacitively coupled plasma micro-thruster using the particle-in-cell method.
ORAL
Abstract
A radio-frequency (13.56MHz) capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) micro-thruster was simulated in two dimensions by an electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) method, using a PPPL-modified version of the commercial LSP code [1]. At the gas valve, the gas pressure is high, up to 5 Torr, and the discharge can operate at high voltages, up to 400 V in argon. Results were benchmarked against the previous 2D fluid simulations of ref. [2] and validated by comparison with the experimental data of ref. [3]. Results show plasma properties depend strongly on the secondary electron emission from walls and dielectric thickness separating electrodes from the plasma. [1] A.T. Powis, J.A. Carlsson, I.D. Kaganovich, Y. Raitses, and A. Smolyakov, \textit{Physics of Plasmas}~\textbf{25}, 072110 (2018). [2] A. Greig, C. Charles, and R. W. Boswell, \textit{Frontiers in Physics}~\textbf{2}, 80 (2015). [3] C. Charles and R. W. Boswell,~\textit{Plasma Sources Sci. Technol~}\textbf{21,~}022002 (2012).
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Authors
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Michael May
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
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Andrew Powis
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
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Igor Kaganovich
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton NJ, Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, USA, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab