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In this article, we present our recent experiments on fission fragment rocket propulsion, and on an innovative new design for an alpha particle detection system that has been inspired by these rocketry results. Our test platform, which…
We present the first attempt of the systematical investigation about the effects of shell correction energy for dynamical processes, which include fusion, fusion-fission and quasi-fission processes. In the superheavy mass region, for the…
Solar sails propelled by radiation pressure enable space missions that cannot be achieved using chemical rockets alone. Significant in-space propulsion for missions such as a solar polar orbiter may be achieved with a sail that deviates…
Fusion energy is often regarded as a long-term solution to the world's energy needs. However, even after solving the critical research challenges, engineering and materials science will still impose significant constraints on the…
The role of MHD turbulence in astrophysical environments is still highly debated. An important question that permeates this debate is the transport of magnetic flux. This is particularly important, for instance, in the context of star…
Lightsails are a highly promising spacecraft concept that has attracted interest in recent years due to its potential to travel at near-relativistic speeds. Such speeds, which current conventional crafts cannot reach, offer tantalizing…
Electromagnetic propulsion technology has been thought to provide a potential form of future spacecraft propulsion for some time. In contrast to ion thrusters, which utilize the Coulomb force to accelerate positively charged species,…
Models of core-collapse supernova explosions powered by the neutrino-driven mechanism have matured considerable in recent years. Explosions at the low-mass end of the progenitor spectrum can routinely be simulated in 1D, 2D, and 3D and…
The electric solar wind sail is a novel propellantless space propulsion concept. According to numerical estimates, the electric solar wind sail can produce a large total impulse per propulsion system mass. Here we consider using a 0.5 N…
Gauging the benefits of hypothetical gravity control propulsion is difficult, but addressable. The major challenge is that such breakthroughs are still only notional concepts rather than being specific methods from which performance can be…
A design concept and characteristics for an epithermal breeder controlled by variable feedback and external neutron source intensity are presented. By replacing the control rods with neutron sources, we could improve safety and perform…
The treatment of convection remains a major weakness in the modelling of stellar evolution with one-dimensional (1D) codes. The ever increasing computing power makes now possible to simulate in 3D part of a star for a fraction of its life,…
This study deals with the optimisation of hybrid composite drive shafts operating at subcritical or supercritical speeds, using a genetic algorithm. A formulation for the flexural vibrations of a composite drive shaft mounted on…
Future advanced nuclear rocket propulsion, and the availability of new nuclear power cycle designs, will benefit substantially from the large current investment in alternative nuclear energy that is underway today. We propose a new nuclear…
Inspired by the natural motion of insects, fish, and other animals, flapping airfoils have gained significant importance due to their applications in fields such as ship propulsion, micro aerial vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles.…
The fuel injection system is the main process in supersonic vehicles. In this article, injection of fuel jet through a trapezoidal strut in the coaxial supersonic air stream is investigated. The numerical method is applied for the…
Decay of $^{210}$Po compound nucleus formed in light and heavy-ion induced fusion reactions has been analyzed simultaneously using a consistent prescription for fission barrier and nuclear level density incorporating shell correction and…
Solar sails can play a critical role in enabling solar and heliophysics missions. Solar sail technology within NASA is currently at 80% of TRL-6, suitable for an in-flight technology demonstration. It is conceivable that an initial…
Context. Mixing by convective overshooting has long been suggested to play an important role for the amount of hydrogen available to nuclear burning in convective cores of stars. The best way to model this effect is still debated. Aims. We…
The Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) is a nuclear fusion engine that will provide thrust and electrical power for any spacecraft. It is a compact engine, based on the D -$^{3}$He aneutronic fusion reaction that uses the Princeton field reversed…