A Novel Approach for the Particle-in-Cell Modelling of Gridded Ion Engine Plume Neutralisation

The Particle-in-Cell modelling of gridded ion engine plume neutralisation has been simplified when compared to traditional methods. This results in significantly less computational resources being required. The NSTAR engine was modelled as a reference, where simulated specific impulse values were found to be 5% higher than the real engine. This method will be most suited to rapid prototyping and optimisation studies, where speed of simulations is an important factor