This thesis presents the development of a numerical model designed to simulate the complex physical phenomena taking place during xenon ion irradiation on materials commonly used in electric thrusters, namely titanium, graphite, quartz, and silicon carbide. The model couples the molecular dynamics (MD) technique with the two-temperature model (TTM), enabling the temporal resolution of atomic and electronic subsystems on their respective characteristic length and time scales. The primary objectives of this research are twofold. Firstly, the model allows for the detailed analysis of the theoretically predicted thermal spike and collision cascade phenomena, which are responsible for local melting and the ejection of atoms from the irradiated target surface. Secondly, the study aims to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and practical applications by evaluating sputter yields and ion implantation depths, crucial for the development and optimization of thruster components subjected to xenon-induced erosion. The obtained computational results are compared with experimental data and benchmarked against existing software tools, namely TRIM. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics and demonstrate good to excellent agreement with experimental measurements, advancing the capability of numerical modeling to deliver high-quality and reliable predictions for the erosion and lifetime of electric thrusters.     «

This thesis presents the development of a numerical model designed to simulate the complex physical phenomena taking place during xenon ion irradiation on materials commonly used in electric thrusters, namely titanium, graphite, quartz, and silicon carbide. The model couples the molecular dynamics (MD) technique with the two-temperature model (TTM), enabling the temporal resolution of atomic and electronic subsystems on their respective characteristic length and time scales. The primary objectiv...     »