Fundamentals of Stationary Plasma Thruster Theory

Abstract

This review is devoted to very specific processes in stationary plasma propulsion devices with poloidal magnetic and electric fields and a dielectric channel (Fig. 1) [1—3]. At present, these accelerators with closed-drift electrons and an extended acceleration region (also called Hall thrusters) generate quasineutral multi-ampere (~ 1 — 50 A) streams of ions of different species (from hydrogen to xenon) with particle energies of 50— 1000 eV. They are mostly known as electric propulsion thrusters for spacecraft (see the Appendix for more details). Therefore, such devices are more frequently called “stationary plasma thrusters” (SPTs). We will use this term throughout the paper. SPTs were designed in 1960s from the basic idea of A. I. Morozov at the Kurchatov Atomic Energy Institute (AEI) (G. Ya. Shchepkin’s laboratory). They were first launched into space in 1971 [4] and have since (most recently in 1997) been mounted onboard more than 50 Russian satellites. From 1999, these thrusters should be used on USA satellites and then perhaps on the satellites of other countries.