Critical assessment of a two-dimensional hybrid Hall thruster model: Comparisons with experiments

A discussion is presented on the results and predictive capabilities of a two-dimensional (2D) hybrid Hall effect thruster (HET) model. It is well known that classical (collision-induced) cross-field electron transport and energy losses are not sufficient to explain the observed HET characteristics. The 2D, quasineutral, hybrid discharge model uses empirical parameters to describe additional, anomalous electron transport and energy loss phenomena. It is shown that, for properly adjusted empirical parameters, the model can qualitatively reproduce the observed thruster behavior over a large range of operating conditions. The ionization and transit-time oscillations predicted by the model are described, and their consequences on the time-averaged thruster properties are discussed. Finally, the influence of the empirical parameters on the model results is shown, especially on quantities that can be measured experimentally. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.