BADIN Sylvain : Etude théorique de la chimie de l'iode pour la propulsion électrique

Thesis summary:

The development of low power electric thrusters is a crucial step to meet the growing demand for small satellite technology. In this context, iodine is a promising candidate to replace currently used propellants (e.g., xenon), for both technological and economic reasons. However, the chemistry of iodine for electric propulsion is poorly understood, due to the lack of data on the elementary electronic processes occurring within the propellant. The goal of the thesis project is to provide the first comprehensive model of iodine chemistry for the typical conditions encountered in electric propulsion, using a combination of state-of-the-art relativistic electronic structure calculations, atomic and molecular collision simulations, and chemical kinetic modeling. The results will thus have a significant impact in the emerging field of electric propulsion.The PhD student will develop and use the necessary numerical methods to calculate the reaction rates of the reactions occurring between the different atomic and molecular species of iodine(I+,I-,I,I2,I2+,I2-,...). In a second step, he will implement these data in a kinetic model. With such a state-of-the-art code, he will study the composition of an iodine propellant under real conditions, allowing the determination of the optimal parameters for a high efficiency of the propellant.

PhD student: BADIN Sylvain

Thesis supervisor: SEVERO PEREIRA GOMES Andre