Simulation of the microwave propagation through the plume of a Hall thruster integrated on small spacecraft

More and more CubeSats are being launched. On these small platforms, subsystems such as propulsion and communication ones have to coexist. This article focuses on electromagnetic interaction between these two critical subsystems. Hence, a numerical multi-physics method is proposed in order to quanti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2022-06, Vol.131 (24)
Main Authors: de Mejanes, N., Pascaud, R., Mazières, V., Rossi, A., Laquerbe, V., Garrigues, L., Pascal, O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antenna radiation patterns
Applied physics
Cubesat
Dipole antennas
Electromagnetic interactions
Electromagnetism
Engineering Sciences
Far fields
Perturbation
Plasmas
Propagation
Simulation
Spacecraft
Subsystems
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Summary:More and more CubeSats are being launched. On these small platforms, subsystems such as propulsion and communication ones have to coexist. This article focuses on electromagnetic interaction between these two critical subsystems. Hence, a numerical multi-physics method is proposed in order to quantify perturbation caused by an electric thruster’s plume on the antenna of a CubeSat type spacecraft. A plume simulation model has been coupled with electromagnetic simulation software. As an example, the farfield radiation patterns and radioelectric characteristics of a 436 MHz dipole are presented when located near a Hall thruster’s plume on a 6U type platform. Changes in radiation patterns are observed in the presence of plume for the dipole antenna. This versatile method makes it possible to represent microwave propagation through a plume for various antennas, thruster’s plumes, or relative positions.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/5.0095134