Non-classical Processes in Hall Effect Thrusters
Hall effect thrusters are the most widely flown type of electric propulsion system. Despite this widespread use and over fifty years of technical development, there remain several outstanding questions about how these devices work. These are related primarily to stability, momentum and energy transport, and ion-induced erosion. In this talk, a comprehensive overview is provided of these processes in Hall thrusters and the work performed at the University of Michigan over the past decade to address them.Bio: Benjamin Jorns is an associate professor in the aerospace engineering department at the University of Michigan where he directs the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory. Before joining the faculty at U-M, he was a technologist in the advanced propulsion group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Prof. Jorns’ research interests include next-generation space propulsion systems, plasma diagnostics, and plasma wave phenomena. He is director of the USSF Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness, and Resilience (SPAR), a national effort to investigate advanced space nuclear and electric propulsion technologies.