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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 92 » Issue 22
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 225003 (2004) [4 pages]

Kink Instability in Applied-Field Magneto-Plasma-Dynamic Thrusters

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M. Zuin1,2, R. Cavazzana1, E. Martines1, G. Serianni1, V. Antoni1,2, and M. Bagatin1,2
1Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla fusione, corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
2Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unità di Padova, Italy

M. Andrenucci, F. Paganucci, and P. Rossetti
Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy and Centrospazio, Via A. Gherardesca 5, 56014 Pisa, Italy

Received 14 November 2003; revised 28 January 2004; published 3 June 2004

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.

© 2004 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.225003
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.225003
PACS:
52.75.Di, 52.35.Py, 52.70.Ds
 
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