Published June 4, 2004
| Version v1
Journal article
Kink instability in applied-field magneto-plasma-dynamic thrusters
Creators
- 1. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita di Padova (Italy)
- 2. Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla fusione, corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova (Italy)
- 3. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy and Centrospazio, Via A. Gherardesca 5, 56014 Pisa (Italy)
Description
Measurements of magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations in an applied field magneto-plasma-dynamic thruster have shown that a m/n=1/1 kink mode becomes unstable whenever the Kruskal-Shafranov limit is violated. A positive correlation is established between the kink and performance degradation at high current, which has until now prevented the use of this kind of thruster in space missions
Additional details
Identifiers
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Physical Review Letters
- Journal Volume
- 92
- Journal Issue
- 22
- Journal Page Range
- p. 225003-225003.4
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
- CODEN
- PRLTAO
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 36019298
- Subject category
- S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; S70: PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY;
- Descriptors DEI
- FLUCTUATIONS; KINK INSTABILITY; PERFORMANCE; PLASMA; PLASMA GUNS; PROPULSION SYSTEMS; SPACE FLIGHT; THRUSTERS
- Descriptors DEC
- INSTABILITY; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; VARIATIONS
Optional Information
- Notes
- (c) 2004 The American Physical Society