Numerical simulations of Hall-effect plasma accelerators on a magnetic-field-aligned mesh

The ionized gas in Hall-effect plasma accelerators spans a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, and exhibits diverse physics some of which remain elusive even after decades of research. Inside the acceleration channel a quasiradial applied magnetic field impedes the current of electrons perpendicular to it in favor of a significant component in the E×B direction. Ions are unmagnetized and, arguably, of wide collisional mean free paths. Collisions between the atomic species are rare. This paper reports on a computational approach that solves numerically the 2D axisymmetric vector form of Ohm's law with no assumptions regarding the resistance to classical electron transport in the parallel relative to the perpendicular direction. The numerical challenges related to the large disparity of the transport coefficients in the two directions are met by solving the equations on a computational mesh that is aligned with the applied magnetic field. This approach allows for a large physical domain that extends more than five times the thruster channel length in the axial direction and encompasses the cathode boundary where the lines of force can become nonisothermal. It also allows for the self-consistent solution of the plasma conservation laws near the anode boundary, and for simulations in accelerators with complex magnetic field topologies. Ions are treated as an isothermal, cold (relative to the electrons) fluid, accounting for the ion drag in the momentum equation due to ion-neutral (charge-exchange) and ion-ion collisions. The density of the atomic species is determined using an algorithm that eliminates the statistical noise associated with discrete-particle methods. Numerical simulations are presented that illustrate the impact of the above-mentioned features on our understanding of the plasma in these accelerators.