Influence of the plasma/wall interactions on the operation of Hall thrusters

Stationnary Plasma Thrusters are electric thrusters which are especially well suited for geostationary stationkeeping of satellites and low-orbit transfers. We present here a study of the influence of the channel material on the performances, based on the results of a I-D fluid model. Stationary and transient analysis were performed, showing that materials with low electron secondary emission increase the efficiency via a better propellant ionization, although they lead to wider current oscillations.bellevue.