Cross-field chaotic transport of electrons by E × B electron drift instability in Hall thruster.

A model calculation is presented to characterize the anomalous cross field transport of electrons in a Hall thruster geometry. The anomalous nature of the transport is attributed to the chaotic dynamics of the electrons arising from their interaction with fluctuating unstable electrostatic fields of the electron cyclotron drift instability that is endemic in these devices. The electrons energy gain from those background waves leads to a significant increase in their temperature along the perpendicular direction T ⊥ / T ∥ ∼ 4 and an enhanced cross field electron transport along the thruster axial direction. It is shown that the wave-particle interaction induces a mean velocity of the electrons along the axial direction, which is of the same order of magnitude as seen in experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]