Optimized atom injection in a Hall effect thruster.

An improvement of the neutral gas injection in order to increase the Hall thruster lifetime capabilities is demonstrated using a two-dimensional model. An additional atom injection through the channel ceramics in a region located between the ionization and the acceleration zones leads to an efficient ionization of the neutral flux, with a flattening of the plasma density and potential profiles in the radial direction. Thanks to this modified injection of the atom flow, a focusing electric field is produced, reducing the ion flux impacting on ceramic walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]