Numerical modeling and incoherent Thomson scattering measurements of a 5A cathode with LaB 6 emitter

Emissive cathodes serve as the electron source for Hall plasma thrusters, needed to maintain the ionization region, and also to act as neutralizers for the accelerated ions in these devices. As they are currently the lifetime-limiting components of thrusters, reliable and robust numerical modeling of their operation is key. In this paper, results from the application of a recently-developed 2D axisymmetric fluid code to the modeling of a 5A LaB6 emissive cathode are presented. These results are compared with new electron property measurements obtained via a recently-developed incoherent Thomson scattering diagnostic. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results are found, as well as an interesting dependency of the code results to the LaB6 emitter temperature.