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Flux compression magnetic nozzle
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Thio Sr., Y. C. Francis |
| Copyright Year | 2001 |
| Description | In pulsed fusion propulsion schemes in which the fusion energy creates a radially expanding plasma, a magnetic nozzle is required to redirect the radially diverging flow of the expanding fusion plasma into a rearward axial flow, thereby producing a forward axial impulse to the vehicle. In a highly electrically conducting plasma, the presence of a magnetic field B in the plasma creates a pressure B(exp 2)/2(mu) in the plasma, the magnetic pressure. A gradient in the magnetic pressure can be used to decelerate the plasma traveling in the direction of increasing magnetic field, or to accelerate a plasma from rest in the direction of decreasing magnetic pressure. In principle, ignoring dissipative processes, it is possible to design magnetic configurations to produce an 'elastic' deflection of a plasma beam. In particular, it is conceivable that, by an appropriate arrangement of a set of coils, a good approximation to a parabolic 'magnetic mirror' may be formed, such that a beam of charged particles emanating from the focal point of the parabolic mirror would be reflected by the mirror to travel axially away from the mirror. The degree to which this may be accomplished depends on the degree of control one has over the flux surface of the magnetic field, which changes as a result of its interaction with a moving plasma. |
| File Size | 263255 |
| Page Count | 4 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20020016726 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t02z65w21 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2001-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance Plasmas Physics Plasma Pressure Magnetic Mirrors Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Magnetic Nozzles Magnetic Fields Fusion Propulsion Axial Flow Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
