Simulation of discharge channel wall erosion in Hall thruster

To calculate the lifetime of a Hall thruster, a two-dimensional model of magnetic and electric fields was established for the discharge channel of the thruster, and the assumed propellant is the xenon. The movement of particles in the magnetic and electric fields was tracked using PIC method. The Laplace equation was used to calculate the magnetic field, and the Poisson equation to calculate the electric field. Electrons were injected from the cathode and then ions were generated from the atom-electron ionization collision. In the process of tracking, we recorded the number, angle and energy of ions hitting against the inner and outer walls. Then we calculated the erosion rate at the threshold energy of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 eV, respectively. The maximal erosion rate at the outlet is 1.7×10^-9 m/s.