Similarity parameters and scaling laws for hall thrusters

Many plasma devices relevant to space propulsion, materials processing, and particle mass separation are characterized by the presence of perpendicular electric and magnetic fields. Modelling of such discharges can however be challenging, particularly when trying to uncover underlying scaling laws and similarity parameters. Here, we present a one-dimensional model of a Hall thruster that includes plasma-wall losses and anomalous electron transport, and we identify several key similarity parameters that govern system operation, behaviour, and performance. The use of these similarity parameters with the model then allows us to uncover a set of scaling laws for thruster design. The model is verified with a recent analytical solution and validated using a range of experimental data, before being applied to the optimization of Hall thrusters both within the context of alternative propellants (such as krypton, argon, and iodine), and the extension of operating envelopes to lower and higher power levels.