Plasma evolution in a microsatellite thruster

Interaction between charged species (plasma) and neutral gas inside a microthruster used for small spacecraft applications is investigated. A multidimensional self consistent model is developed to describe the interaction inside a micro-thruster. The model includes the solution of the conservation equations of the charged species and the neutral gas with the Poisson equation. Gas depletion, heating and pressure are calculated in the micro-thruster. The multidimensional simulation gives a better understanding of the gas-plasma interactions. The model is also suitable to investigate the effect of using different electrodes configurations and geometries to control and optimize the interaction process.