Antiproton powered propulsion with magnetically confined plasma engines
Matter-antimatter annihilation releases more energy per unit mass than any other method of energy production, making it an attractive energy source for spacecraft propulsion. In the magnetically confined plasma engine, antiproton beams are injected axially into a pulsed magnetic mirror system, where they annihilate with an initially neutral hydrogen gas. The resulting charged annihilation products transfer energy to the hydrogen propellant, which is then exhausted through one end of the pulsed mirror system to provide thrust. The calculated energy transfer efficiencies for a low number density (10(14)/cu cm) hydrogen propellant are insufficient to warrant operating the engine in this mode. Efficiencies are improved using moderate propellant number densities (10(16)/cu cm), but the energy transferred to the plasma in a realistic magnetic mirror system is generally limited to less than 2 percent of the initial proton-antiproton annihilation energy. The energy transfer efficiencies are highest for high number density (10(18)/cu cm) propellants, but plasma temperatures are reduced by excessive radiation losses. Low to moderate thrust over a wide range of specific impulse can be generated with moderate propellant number densities, while higher thrust but lower specific impulse may be generated using high propellant number densities. Significant mass will be required to shield the superconducting magnet coils from the high energy gamma radiation emitted by neutral pion decay. The mass of such a radiation shield may dominate the total engine mass, and could severely diminish the performance of antiproton powered engines which utilize magnetic confinement. The problem is compounded in the antiproton powered plasma engine, where lower energy plasma bremsstrahlung radiation may cause shield surface ablation and degradation.
- Research Organization:
- Sverdrup Technology, Inc., Cleveland, OH (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5488790
- Report Number(s):
- N-89-27700; NASA-CR-185131; E-5025; NAS-1.26:185131; AIAA-89-2334; CONF-8907118-
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 25. American Society of Mechanical Engineers joint propulsion conference, Monterey, CA (USA), 10-13 Jul 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
PLASMA JETS
SPACE VEHICLES
ANNIHILATION
ANTIPROTON BEAMS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
ENERGY TRANSFER
HYDROGEN
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MUONS
PIONS
SHIELDING
SIMULATION
ANTINUCLEON BEAMS
ANTIPARTICLE BEAMS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BEAMS
BOSONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
INTERACTIONS
LEPTONS
MESONS
NONMETALS
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
RADIATIONS
VEHICLES
330000* - Advanced Propulsion Systems