Evaluation of Unionized Propellant Xenon Atom in a Hall Thruster Plume

Unionized propellant xenon atom in a magnetic layer type Hall thruster plume was diagnosed by optical methods. To estimate the total xenon number density from previously measured meta-stable one, the Bolzmann, the corona and the KCD models were evaluated by emission spectroscopy. The measured xenon spectra show better agreement with the KCD model than the others. Also the electron temperature by a combination of the KCD model with the measured spectra shows good agreement with that from a single probe measurement. As a result of the application of this model, the total number density of xenon was estimated 3.4×10 m at the channel exit and decreased by 1/e at 60 mm from the exit.