Influence of the erosion of the discharge channel wall on the efficiency of a stationary plasma thruster

The integral characteristics of stationary plasma thrusters are studied experimentally during their long-term operation. It is shown that the monotonic fall of the thrust efficiency and specific impulse within the initial 500?C1000 h of operation is explained, in particular, by a decrease in the propellant utilization efficiency. A physical mechanism underlying this phenomenon is suggested, and expressions predicting the variation of the output characteristics of the thrusters during the operating life are derived. Satisfactory agreement is observed between experimental and predicted results on the anode specific impulse variation in the course of testing several thrusters with different powers for endurance. An experimentally found correlation between the magnetic field configuration and the position of the erosion zone boundary on the discharge chamber wall is accounted for.