Fast Camera Analysis of Plasma Instabilities in Hall Effect Thrusters Using a POD Method under Different Operating Regimes

Even after half a century of development, many phenomena in Hall Effect Thrusters are still not well-understood. While numerical studies are now widely used to study this highly non-linear system, experimental diagnostics are needed to validate their results and identify specific oscillations. By varying the cathode heating current, its emissivity is efficiently controlled and a transition between two functioning regimes of a low power thruster is observed. This transition implies a modification of the axial electric field and of the plasma plume shape. High-speed camera imaging is performed and the data are analysed using a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition method to isolate the different types of plasma fluctuations occurring simultaneously. The low-frequency breathing mode is observed, along with higher frequency rotating modes that can be associated to rotating spokes or gradient-induced instabilities. These rotating modes are observed while propagating outside the thruster channel. The reduction of the cathode emissivity beyond the transition comes along with a disappearance of the breathing mode, which could improve the thruster performance and stability.