Related papers: System Analysis and Test-Bed for an Atmosphere-Bre…
Near-space, which covers altitudes from 20 to 100 kilometers, has been receiving more and more attention because of its special strategic value. Airships and high-altitude balloons are two common types of low-speed vehicles that operate in…
A model of an electron-beam-plasma system is introduced to model the electrical breakdown physics of low-pressure nitrogen irradiated by an intense pulsed electron beam. The rapidly rising beam current induces an electric field which drives…
Pulsed laser ablation propulsion has the potential to revolutionize space exploration by eliminating the requirement of a spacecraft to carry its propellant and power source as the high-power laser is situated off-board. More…
Performing orbital insertion around Mars using aerocapture instead of a propulsive orbit insertion manoeuvre allows to save resources and/or increase the payload mass fraction. Aerocapture has never been employed to date because of the high…
Thermal protection systems are a critical component of planetary exploration, enabling probes to enter the atmosphere and perform in-situ measurements. The aero-thermal conditions encountered during entry are destination and vehicle…
The Particle-in-Cell (PIC) method was used to study two different ion thruster concepts - Stationary Plasma Thrusters (SPT) and High Efficiency Multistage Plasma Thrusters (HEMP-T), in particular the plasma properties in the discharge…
Inductively coupled plasma wind tunnels are crucial for replicating hypersonic flight conditions in ground testing. Achieving the desired conditions (e.g., stagnation-point heat fluxes and enthalpies during atmospheric reentry) requires a…
This paper presents a novel micropropulsion system for nanosatellite applications - a liquid fed pulsed-plasma thruster (LF-PPT) comprised of a Lorentz-force pulsed plasma accelerator (PPA) and a low-energy surface flashover (LESF) igniter.…
The creation and design of a plasma thruster are considered using a rotating cylindrical plasma flow in crossed magnetic fields. The thruster scheme uses this plasma guided by a permanent, radial and a time-dependent axial magnetic field.…
Attempts to use Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow for propulsion have been made since the last century [1]. Limited success has been registered particularly due to the inhomogeneous generation of the thrust, and also the very light weight and…
The energy balance of a plasma holds fundamental information not only about basic plasma physics, but it is also important for tailoring plasmas to specific applications. Especially RF-driven atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs)…
Electric propulsion requires exhaustive ground test campaigns to obtain an accurate characterization of the propulsion devices, or thrusters, used by the spacecraft. Among the many plasma parameters, accurately measured during the tests,…
Electrospray thrusters are emerging as a leading propulsion technology for CubeSats, offering high specific impulse ($I_{sp} > 1000$ s) and low power requirements. However, the divergent ion plumes can impinge on spacecraft surfaces,…
A versatile linear dusty (complex) plasma device is designed to study the transport and dynamical behavior of dust particles in a large volume. Diffused inductively coupled plasma is generated in the background of argon gas. A novel…
A special surface discharge is proposed based on the multi-anode electrode geometry. Instead of the traditional surface flashover of creepage on the insulator surface between the electrodes, a surface discharge with one of the electrodes…
Available JWST observations TRAPPIST-1 system have suggested that several of the planets are likely airless, or possess a very tenuous atmosphere. However, the high atmospheric escape rates expected for these planets suggest that any…
Small solar system bodies are becoming increasingly important as missions like NASA's OSIRIS-REx show. However, the study of the characteristics and behavior of these objects on Earth is a challenge as the simulation of their environmental…
Efficient transport of high-current negative ion beams is critical for accurate plasma potential diagnostics using heavy-ion beam probe (HIBP) systems in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. However, strong space-charge effects often…
Plasma jets belong to the category remote plasma. This means that the discharge conditions and the chemical effect on samples can be tuned separately, this being a big advantage compared to standard low-pressure reactors. The inductive…
Small-satellites and CubeSats offer a low-cost pathway to access Low Earth Orbit at altitudes of 450 km and lower thanks to miniaturization and advancement in reliability of commercial electronics. However, at these low altitudes,…