Meng Li

This paper deals with two temperature plasma properties of ablated PTFE vapour which is generated by a discharge ablation in Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs) as a form of electric spacecraft propulsion. The species composition and thermodynamic properties are numerically determined using two-temperature Saha equation and Guldberg-Waage equation. Transport properties are calculated with most recent collision interaction potentials by adopting Devoto's electron and heavy particle decoupling approach in the frame of Chapman–Enskog method. The database obtained here clearly shows the influence of non-equilibrium effects on plasma properties and hence will serve as reliable reference data for simulation of non-equilibrium plasma behaviour in PPTs.