Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the electrospray plume composition and how it is affected by intermolecular collisions is critical to the performance prediction and advancement of the technology. The current study uses molecular dynamics modeling to identify and quantify the different types of processes that can ensue from the collisions between the monomer ions and the neutral molecules in the plume of an electrospray thruster operating with the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (). Collision cross-sections are calculated for the identified collisional events as a function of the relative velocity of impact. The cross-section profiles provide quantitative insights into the relative importance of the different types of collisional interactions. We predict that 1) recombination and charge exchange are only significant at very low impact velocities [], 2) ionic fragmentation bears relevance in the impact velocity range , and 3) covalent fragmentation dominates at the higher impact velocities []. The results can be used to track changes in the composition of ion and neutral species due to collisions in the plume and the introduction of new species into the plume. The summary of collisional outcomes via cross-sections allows for their incorporation in larger-scale -body and particle-in-cell simulations of both individual and arrays of emitters.
Cross-Sections for Charge Exchange and Other Collisional Processes in Electrospray Plumes
2025-07-01
Conference paper , Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Application of a Classical Model to the Calculation of Charge-Exchange Cross Sections
British Library Online Contents | 1997
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