Magnetohydrodynamic Instabilities in a Simple Gasdynamic Mirror Propulsion System

Computational Magnetohydrodynamic Model of a Nonuniform Gasdynamic Mirror Propulsion System

Parametric engineering models of the gas dynamic mirror (GDM) fusion propulsion systems[1, 2, 3, 4] have produced potentially feasible systems. However, these systems are extremely large and massive due to neutron or bremsstrahlung radiation losses for traditional and advanced fusion fuels, respectively. In order to explore designs beyond the simple uniform GDM represented by the parametric mod...

Computational Magnetohydrodynamic Model of A, Gasdynamic Mirror Propulsion 5ystem

A Field-Reversed Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Propulsion System

Previous studies have shown that the gasdynamic mirror (GDM) fusion propulsion system is capable of producing specific impulses in excess of 10 seconds and thrusts in the tens of kilonewtons. These propulsive capabilities arise from the ability of this magnetic fusion system to confine a hot plasma long enough to produce fusion energy while allowing a certain fraction of its charged particle po...

Magnetic Configuration of a Reduced- Mtiss Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Propulsion System

The gasdynamic Mirror (GDM) Fusion Propulsion System is a simple mirror magnetic confinement machine in which the ion-ion collision mean free path is significantly shorter than the length of the device. Under these conditions the plasma behaves like a fluid and is governed by gasdynamic laws which show the confimement time to vary directly with the plasma mirror ration and inversely with the pl...

Physics Basis for the Gasdynamic Mirror (gdm) Fusion Rocket

A detailed examination of the physics principles that underlie the operation of the GDM fusion confinement system is carried out in order to assess its transformation to a potential propulsion device. With an ion collision mean free path much shorter than its length, the plasma in GDM behaves like a fluid, and its escape from the chamber is analogous to the flow of a gas into vacuum from a vess...