DSMC-PIC analysis of a plume from MUSES-C ion engines

Abstract

The MUSES-C mission is being prepared at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). The MUSES-C spacecraft is equipped with four ion engines, and usually three ion engines are operated simultaneously. This paper describes the numerical studies of a plume exhausted from the ion engines of the MUSES-C. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is employed for determining the flowfield of the neutral atoms, and the particle-in-cell (PIC) method is combined with the DSMC method to deal with the motion of the ions. The simulation results for the operation of a single ion engine are compared with experiments conducted at ISAS. It is revealed that the profiles of the ion beam are sensitive to the ion beam divergence angle at the engine exit and the electron temperature of the flowfield. Based on the simulation results of a single ion engine, a three-dimensional DSMC-PIC simulation for the simultaneous operation of three ion engines is carried out, and the interaction between plumes from the ion engines and the behavior of the CEX ions are investigated.