Numerical simulation of ion thruster-induced plasma dynamics — the model and initial results Original Research Article

Recently, there is a strong interest in ion thrusters as propulsion devices for interplanetary missions. Apart from their propulsive efficiency, the operation of ion thrusters in space constitutes a very interesting active plasma experiment, and the associated plasma physical dynamics are only poorly understood. We give an overview of the thruster-induced plasma environment and describe the numerical simulation with which we attempt to explore the main dynamical phenomena in this environment. The simulation is applied to a simplified ion thruster neutralization regime. Initial results for an injection velocity ratio η = νe0th/νi0 = 1 between electron thermal velocity and ion beam velocity reveal the occurrence of an electrostatic shock wave that provides a complete thermalization of the beam plasma.