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The interaction between the solar wind plasma and the bias electric field of long conducting tethers is the basic operation mechanism of the electric sail thruster. A two-dimensional (2D) full particle model is established to investigate the momentum transfer process between the solar wind plasma and parallel conducting tethers, while normal incidence and oblique incidence of the solar wind are taken into account. To ensure the accuracy and stability of the present PIC method, we take a grid space step of 2.5 m that is smaller than the Debye length and a time step of 162.5 ns that is limited by the plasma frequency. The main features including the spatial electric potential and ion number density distribution are represented under the influences of tether distance and solar wind incidence angle, in addition, the effect of the bias voltage on momentum transfer process is analyzed. At a steady state, the number of electrons is slightly higher than that of ions, owing to the attraction of the positive potential of tethers. Different tether distances (i.e., from 15 m to 85 m) are taken and show that a high potential bias voltage of tethers can slow down, cease, reflect and deflect a large number of ions, resulting in a plasma cavity in the vicinity of the tethers. An ion trap forms and captures many ions, owing to the interaction between the sheaths of the two conducting tethers. In general, a bias voltage of 1 kV produces a thrust of 30 nN/m with two tethers, on the assumption that the solar wind incomes normally. If we increase the distance between two conducting tethers, both trap captured ions and thrust show a first increase and then decrease trend. Furthermore, the investigations of the solar wind oblique incidence show that the thrust of the electric sail is determined by its attitude and is separated into force components in two directions:a horizontal force that is along the solar wind and a lift force that is perpendicular to the solar wind. We conclude that the present work first shows that the lift force is less than zero when the tether plane leans to the right, and greater than zero if the tether plane turns left. The increasing of the pitch angle leads to a variation of the thrust from -40° to 40°. The presented dependence of the thrust on the attitude of the tether plane provides an important reference for the optimal design of the orbit dynamics of the electric sail spacecraft.
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Keywords:
- space propulsion /
- electric sail /
- plasma simulation /
- particle in cell
[1] Janhunen P 2004 J. Propul. Power 20 763
[2] Mengali G, Quarta A A, Janhunen P 2008 J. Spacecraft Rockets 45 122
[3] Janhunen P, Toivanen P, Envall J, Merikallio S, Montesanti G, Amo J G, Kvell U, Noorma M, Lätt S 2014 Proc. Est. Acad. Sci. 63 267
[4] Envall J, Janhunen P, Toivanen P, Pajusalu M, Ilbis E, Kalde J, Averin M, Kuuste H, Laizans K, Allik V, Rauhala T, Seppänen H, Kiprich S, Ukkonen J, Hœggström E, Kalvas T, Tarvainen O, Kauppinen J, Nuottajärvi A, Koivisto H 2014 Proc. Est. Acad. Sci. 63 210
[5] Slavinskis A, Pajusalu M, Kuuste H, Ilbis E, Eenmäe T, Snter I, Laizàns K, Ehrpais H, Liias P, Kulu E, Viru J, Kalde J, Kvell U, Ktt J, Zàlite K, Kahn K, Lätt S, Envall J, Toivanen P, Polkko J, Janhunen P, Rosta R, Kalvas T, Vendt R, Allik V, Noorma M 2015 IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag. 30 13
[6] Huo M Y, Peng F J, Zhao J, Xie S B, Qi N M 2015 J. Astronautics 36 1363 (in Chinese)[霍明英, 彭福军, 赵钧, 谢少彪, 齐乃明2015宇航学报36 1363]
[7] Mengali G, Quarta A A 2009 J. Guid. Control. Dyna. 32 1018
[8] Wang Y, Wei Y M, Li Y, Yu Y, Bian B X 2015 Chin. Space Sci. Technol. 32 26 (in Chinese)[王昱, 魏延明, 李永, 于洋, 边炳秀2015中国空间科学技术32 26]
[9] Sanchez-Torres A 2014 Contrib. Plasma Phys. 54 314
[10] Janhunen P, Sandroos A 2007 Ann. Geophys. 25 755
[11] Janhunen P 2011 Acta Astronaut. 68 567
[12] Janhunen P 2012 ASP Conference Series 459 271
[13] Toivanen P K, Janhunen P 2013 J. Propul. Power 29 178
[14] Xiong M, Li X 2012 Solar Phys. 279 231
[15] Bame S J, Mccomas D J, Barraclough B L, Phillips J L, Sofaly K J, Chavez J C, Goldstein B E, Sakurai R K 1992 Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 92 237
[16] Turner M M 2006 Phys. Plasmas 13 033506
[17] Chen M L, Xia G Q, Mao G W 2014 Acta Phys. Sin. 63 182901 (in Chinese)[陈茂林, 夏广庆, 毛根旺2014物理学报63 182901]
[18] Sun A B, Becker M M, Loffhagen D 2016 Comput. Phys. Commun. 206 35
[19] Yamaguchi K, Yamakawa H 2016 J. Astronaut. Sci. 63 1
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[1] Janhunen P 2004 J. Propul. Power 20 763
[2] Mengali G, Quarta A A, Janhunen P 2008 J. Spacecraft Rockets 45 122
[3] Janhunen P, Toivanen P, Envall J, Merikallio S, Montesanti G, Amo J G, Kvell U, Noorma M, Lätt S 2014 Proc. Est. Acad. Sci. 63 267
[4] Envall J, Janhunen P, Toivanen P, Pajusalu M, Ilbis E, Kalde J, Averin M, Kuuste H, Laizans K, Allik V, Rauhala T, Seppänen H, Kiprich S, Ukkonen J, Hœggström E, Kalvas T, Tarvainen O, Kauppinen J, Nuottajärvi A, Koivisto H 2014 Proc. Est. Acad. Sci. 63 210
[5] Slavinskis A, Pajusalu M, Kuuste H, Ilbis E, Eenmäe T, Snter I, Laizàns K, Ehrpais H, Liias P, Kulu E, Viru J, Kalde J, Kvell U, Ktt J, Zàlite K, Kahn K, Lätt S, Envall J, Toivanen P, Polkko J, Janhunen P, Rosta R, Kalvas T, Vendt R, Allik V, Noorma M 2015 IEEE Aerosp. Electron. Syst. Mag. 30 13
[6] Huo M Y, Peng F J, Zhao J, Xie S B, Qi N M 2015 J. Astronautics 36 1363 (in Chinese)[霍明英, 彭福军, 赵钧, 谢少彪, 齐乃明2015宇航学报36 1363]
[7] Mengali G, Quarta A A 2009 J. Guid. Control. Dyna. 32 1018
[8] Wang Y, Wei Y M, Li Y, Yu Y, Bian B X 2015 Chin. Space Sci. Technol. 32 26 (in Chinese)[王昱, 魏延明, 李永, 于洋, 边炳秀2015中国空间科学技术32 26]
[9] Sanchez-Torres A 2014 Contrib. Plasma Phys. 54 314
[10] Janhunen P, Sandroos A 2007 Ann. Geophys. 25 755
[11] Janhunen P 2011 Acta Astronaut. 68 567
[12] Janhunen P 2012 ASP Conference Series 459 271
[13] Toivanen P K, Janhunen P 2013 J. Propul. Power 29 178
[14] Xiong M, Li X 2012 Solar Phys. 279 231
[15] Bame S J, Mccomas D J, Barraclough B L, Phillips J L, Sofaly K J, Chavez J C, Goldstein B E, Sakurai R K 1992 Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 92 237
[16] Turner M M 2006 Phys. Plasmas 13 033506
[17] Chen M L, Xia G Q, Mao G W 2014 Acta Phys. Sin. 63 182901 (in Chinese)[陈茂林, 夏广庆, 毛根旺2014物理学报63 182901]
[18] Sun A B, Becker M M, Loffhagen D 2016 Comput. Phys. Commun. 206 35
[19] Yamaguchi K, Yamakawa H 2016 J. Astronaut. Sci. 63 1
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