Experimental Status of the Development of a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket
| Autor: | F. Wally Baity, Jared P. Squire, D. O. Sparks, Mark D. Carter, V. T. Jacobson, Roger D. Bengtson, Franklin R. Chang Díaz, Andrew V. Ilin, Glenn C. Barber, Greg McCaskill, Robert G. Bussell, Richard Goulding, Tim W. Glover |
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| Rok vydání: | 1999 |
| Předmět: |
Physics
Spacecraft propulsion business.industry 020209 energy General Engineering 02 engineering and technology Plasma Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket 01 natural sciences 010305 fluids & plasmas Magnetic mirror Helicon Optics 0103 physical sciences 0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering Vacuum chamber Plasma diagnostics Radio frequency Atomic physics business |
| Zdroj: | Fusion Technology. 35:243-247 |
| ISSN: | 0748-1896 |
| DOI: | 10.13182/fst99-a11963860 |
| Popis: | The Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory (ASPL) is developing a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) using a Radio Frequency (RF) heated magnetic mirror operated asymmetrically. The system comprises of three stages: 1) plasma ionization and injection into the magnetic system; 2) ion heating by action of Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH); 3) plasma exhaust through a magnetic nozzle. The central experimental device is a small versatile tandem mirror configured system. The system can also be easily reconfigured to operate as a simple mirror. The total length of the device is 3.2 m, and the maximum magnetic field is 3.0 T. The exhaust end connects to a 5 m vacuum chamber where we are installing a 40,000 liter/second pumping capacity. Radio frequency power is available at approximately 3 MHz at up to 200 kW. A set of plasma diagnostics is being developed and installed, starting with two fast reciprocating probes, one quadruple Langmuir and one Mach. 2 We are now evaluating the use of a helicon 3 RF plasma source for an efficient ionization stage of the system. Initial results from experiments using a single double-half turn antenna are presented. In addition, we are exploring the use of a Lorentz Force Accelerator (LFA) as a plasma injector source. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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