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Large scale manned space flight within the solar system is still confronted with the solution of two problems: 1. A propulsion system to transport large payloads with short transit times between different planetary orbits. 2. A cost…
Convection is one of the most important mixing processes in stellar interiors. Hydrodynamic mass entrainment can bring fresh fuel from neighboring stable layers into a convection zone, modifying the structure and evolution of the star.…
Dynamical fission calculations show that the post-scission configurations resemble two collinear pear-shaped fragments whose juxtaposed surface bulges subside relatively quickly, as the fragments acquire smoother shapes. The associated…
Excluding speculations about future breakthrough discoveries in physics, it is shown that with what is at present known, and also what is technically feasible, manned space flight to the limits of the solar system and beyond deep into the…
Submerged flapping foils can convert wave energy directly into thrust, which could be potentially utilised for green marine propulsion. This study analyses the wave-induced flapping hydrofoil propulsion using an in-house developed, new…
This work presents a more detailed analysis of the process of magnetic reconnection as promising ion beam accelerator mechanism with possible applications in laboratory plasmas and, more importantly, in the plasma propulsion field. In a…
Identifying the optimal design of a new launch vehicle is most important since design decisions made in the early development phase limit the vehicles' later performance and determines the associated costs. Reusing the first stage via…
Nanostructured solid boron-hydrogen compounds have been suggested as target and fuel for laser fusion, offering improved laser-plasma coupling, avoiding cryogenic fuel handling and fuel pre-compression and ultimately allowing a transit from…
In the evolving realm of space exploration, efficient propulsion methods are paramount to achieve interplanetary and possibly interstellar voyages. Traditional propulsion systems, although proven, offer limited capabilities when considering…
Laser propulsion has been proposed for relativistic interstellar flights, but it faces the significant challenge of requiring extremely powerful laser radiation due to the inherently low momentum transfer between the beam and the sail. The…
Background: Nuclear fission is a complex large-amplitude collective decay mode in heavy nuclei. Microscopic density functional studies of fission have previously concentrated on adiabatic approaches based on constrained static calculations…
Using a range of fusion power plant (FPP) concepts, we demonstrate that spin-polarized fuel (SPF) can significantly enhance net electric power output, often by many multiples. Notably, the electric power gain from SPF generally exceeds the…
Flapping-fin underwater vehicle propulsion systems provide an alternative to propeller-driven systems in situations that require involve a constrained environment or require high maneuverability. Testing new configurations through…
Despite the importance of pulsed jets for underwater propulsion, the effect of multiple-jet interactions remains poorly understood. We experimentally investigate how interactions between neighboring jets in a pulsed-jet thruster affect the…
Orbit insertion at Saturn requires a large impulsive manoeuver due to the velocity difference between the spacecraft and the planet. This paper presents a strategy to reduce dramatically the hyperbolic excess speed at Saturn by means of…
Lightsail spacecraft, propelled to relativistic velocities via photon pressure using high power density laser radiation, offer a potentially new route to space exploration within and beyond the solar system, extending to interstellar…
Centrifugal confinement fusion, a promising alternative to toroidal confinement devices like tokamaks and stellarators, leverages supersonic plasma rotation within a magnetic mirror configuration to achieve simplified coil design,…
Propellantless propulsion refers to methods of space travel that do not require onboard propellant, instead relying on natural forces or external energy sources. In this paper, I review different approaches that have been explored and…
Turbulence enhances fusion reactivity, enabling ignition at lower temperature. A modified Lawson-like ignition criterion is derived for inertially confined plasmas harboring turbulent kinetic energy. Remarkably, if small-scale turbulence is…
With the goal to refine modelling of shell galaxies and the use of shells to probe the merger history, we develop a new method for implementing dynamical friction in test-particle simulations of radial minor mergers. The friction is…