Whistler wave driven plasma thruster

Conference · Wed Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43245· OSTI ID:6630610

Bickford Hooper, E; Stallard, B W; Makowski, M A ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory L-637, P.O. Box 808 Livermore, CA 94550-9900 (United States)

High density plasma can be generated by electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) using whistler waves at densities for which the plasma frequency is much higher than the cyclotron frequency. This will result in a thruster operating at specific impulses of 10[sup 3]--10[sup 4] s and much higher power and thrust densities than usual for ECRH devices. As the plasma generation is by electromagnetic waves, there are no electrodes, and wall material problems are greatly eased, permitting reliable, long lifetime operation. We report on the modeling of such a thruster, including plasma flow as well as losses to an end wall and ionization. A helical antenna to couple the waves into the plasma column is analyzed, including effects of the anisotropic plasma dielectric constant. An initial experiment to test the concept is planned.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6630610
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:3; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
THRUSTERS
WHISTLERS
ANTENNAS
ECR HEATING
ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE
ION PROPULSION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
IMPEDANCE
MOBILE REACTORS
NOISE
PLASMA HEATING
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION
PROPULSION REACTORS
RADIATIONS
RADIO NOISE
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
700350 - Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions- (1992-)