Start‐Up Transient in a Hall Thruster

For the first time a two dimensional axisymmetric fully kinetic Particle-in-Cell/Monte Carlo Collision (PICMCC) model is used to describe the start-up transient of the acceleration channel in a Hall thruster. The Poisson equation and a secondary electron emission model are invoked for the description of the plasma dynamic phase. Numerical results have been used to see the formation and evolution of the discharge inside the channel. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)