Three dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulation of a radio-frequency ion thruster (RIT-2.5) : model validation with experiments

The University of Giessen has been developing miniature ion thrusters that can be used to fine-tune the positioning of the spacecraft. The \emph{PlasmaPIC} code was developed to study plasma processes inside the discharge chamber and help optimize thruster performance.In an attempt to validate the numerical model describing the properties of plasma inside a small-size radio frequency ion thruster, experiments were performed in collaboration with Goethe University. The simulations were performed using revised \emph{PlasmaPIC} code to establish the plasma properties like density and temperature depending upon the input neutral gas flow, power and operational frequency. These results were then compared with the measurements from experiments correlating plasma density and electron temperatures with extracted currents.In this paper, we present a modified numerical model and a comparative analysis between these measurements and simulations providing the validation of the numerical model.