Development of a 10-Moment Multi-Fluid Model for Low-Temperature Magnetized Plasmas

Fluid moment models are an attractive option to model devices because they can describe the collective behavior of an ensemble of particles without needing to track individual trajectories. In low-temperature plasmas, non-Maxwellian effects may arise due to the coupling between plasma-wall interactions, collisions, and instabilities. While kinetic models can describe distributions far from equilibrium, these models are often computationally more expensive than conventional fluid models. In this study, a 10-moment multi-fluid model is developed to capture non-equilibrium effects in low-temperature magnetized plasmas. The present model solves for the number density, three components of bulk velocity, and six components of a symmetric pressure tensor. A one-dimensional model is developed to simulate the dynamics of ions, electrons, and neutrals. The 10-moment model is applied to the discharge plasma in a Hall Effect Thruster channel and compared to the results obtained from a 5-moment study. The off-diagonal terms of the pressure tensor allow for a direct modeling of shear, which can give a better understanding of shear-induced transport and finite non-Maxwellian effects in low-temperature magnetized plasmas.