Beating Electrostatic Wave Magnetic Null Thruster

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DeltaV
Posts: 2245
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:05 am

Beating Electrostatic Wave Magnetic Null Thruster

Post by DeltaV »

FWIW... maybe something of interest for our plasma theorists.

Electron Dynamics in a Beating Electrostatic Wave Magnetic Null Thruster
http://alfven.princeton.edu/papers/AIAA20124193.pdf
Electron dynamics in a beating-electrostatic-wave-powered magnetic null thruster are
explored in order to determine a mechanism that allows for electrons to exit the thruster.
Electron behavior inside of the region of magnetic field reversal is shown to be different from
that of the ions due to the relative difference in characteristic Larmor orbit size compared
to the characteristic size of the null. The analysis led to a thruster design criterion stated
in terms of the relative sizes of electron and ion Larmor radii. An analytical expression for
the fraction of electrons which experience adverse reverse drifting orbits inside the null is
derived. Additionally, the expected drift velocity of forward moving electrons within the
null region is calculated. A scaling relationship for the rate at which electrons enter the
null region through collisional processes is also developed. These three parameters are all
shown to be dependent on a single non-dimensional ratio of the electron thermal Larmor
radius to the size of the null region.
I wonder if the linear geometry could be rolled into a cylinder or cone to be possibly useful w.r.t. Polywell.

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