Abstract
A high specific impulse ion thruster (HiIsp-IT) operated at a voltage of over 10 kV has been studied and the problems of direct ion impingement on the accelerating grid and of production and impingement of charge-exchange ions have been considered. In order to investigate these problems and to facilitate the grid systems design, a three-dimensional particle simulation code that employs an energy compensation method, a simplified pre-sheath definition method, a region sharing method was developed. This code also simulates the production and subsequent motion of charge-exchange ions. Using this code, results obtained quickly using a personal computer are shown to be in good agreement with experimental data associated with: the crossover impingement under low-beam-current condition and the star-shaped pattern of ion beam cross section as it passes through the accelerating grid. It argued that this code is a useful tool for rapid preliminary analysis and design of HiIsp-IT grid systems.
