Topic/Type: 1.5 Low-temperature, dusty and nano-plasmas, Poster

### Representation of anomalous electron transport through an effective collision frequency in the context of Hall effect thruster

L. Garrigues1, 2, 3, J. P?rez-Luna1, 2, G. Hagelaar1, 2, J.P. Boeuf1, 2

1 Universit? de Toulouse; UPS, INPT; LAPLACE (Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d' Energie), Toulouse, France
2 CNRS; LAPLACE; F-31062 Toulouse, France
3 Electronic mail : laurent.garrigues@laplace.univ-tlse.fr

Hall Effect Thrusters (HETs) are very attractive electric thrusters that use a E$\small \times$B field configuration to accelerate ions at high velocity without using a system of grids as in ion engines [1]. The HETs are especially suitable for missions such that station-keeping of the geostationary telecommunication satellites or propulsion of scientific probes exploring the solar system.

Due to the intense ionization of the neutral flux injected as propellant by energetic electrons, the ?collisional? classical transport can not explain the measured cross-B field current [2]. A two-dimensional transient fully kinetic model has been developed in order to understand the origin of the electron transport across the magnetic field barrier [3]. The time consuming of the Particle-In-Cell (PIC) model has been reduced using a implicit method to treat the magnetized transport of the electrons in such kind of system. The computational results reveal the existence of fluctuations of the azimuthal electric field that is responsible for the electron transport across the magnetic field barrier [4].

We present at this conference a study of the interactions between the azimuthal wave and the electrons through a Monte Carlo simulation of the electron transport for typical HET configurations. We also discuss the possible representation of the interactions between the azimuthal wave and the electrons through a collision frequency of momentum transfer.

This work is performed in the frame of the joint-research program CNRS/CNES/Sncema/Universit?s n? 3161 ?Propulsion par Plasma dans l?Espace? and by the TELIOPEH (?Transport ELectronique et IOnique dans les Propulseurs ? Effet Hall?) project, funded by ANR (National Research Agency), under contract ANR-06-BLAN-0171. J. P?rez-Luna has benefited from a CNES/Snecma PhD fellowship.

[1] V.V. Zhurin, H.R. Kaufman, and R.S. Robinson, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 8, R1-R20 (1999).

[2] G.J.M. Hagelaar, J. Bareilles, L. Garrigues, and J.P. Boeuf, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 67 (2003).

[3] J.C. Adam, A. Heron, and G. Laval, Phys. Plasmas 11, 295 (2004).

[4] J.C. Adam, J.P. Boeuf, N. Dubuit, M. Dudeck, L. Garrigues, D. Gresillon, A. Heron,
G.J.M. Hagelaar, V. Kulaev, N. Lemoine, S. Mazouffre, J. P?rez-Luna, V. Pisarev, and S. Tsikita, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50, 124041 (2008).