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Results for “PLASMA HEATING”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Laser production and heating of plasma for MHD application

Experiments have been made on the production and heating of plasmas by the absorption of laser radiation. These experiments were performed to ascertain the feasibility of using laser-produced or laser-heated plasmas as the input for a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. Such a system would have a broad application as a laser-to-electricity energy converter for space power transmission. Experiments with a 100-J-pulsed CO2 laser were conducted to investigate the breakdown of argon gas by a high-intensity laser beam, the parameters (electron density and temperature) of the plasma produced, and the formation and propagation of laser-supported detonation (LSD) waves. Experiments were also carried out using a 1-J-pulsed CO2 laser to heat the plasma produced in a shock tube. The shock-tube hydrogen plasma reached electron densities of approximately 10 to the 17th/cu cm and electron temperatures of approximately 1 eV. Absorption of the CO2 laser beam by the plasma was measured, and up to approximately 100 percent absorption was observed. Measurements with a small MHD generator showed that the energy extraction efficiency could be very large with values up to 56 percent being measured.

Jalufka, N. W.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fokker-Planck simulations of fast ion ICRF and electron EC heating in a mirror plasma using CQL3D-m

The CQL3D-m continuum bounce-average Fokker-Planck code is adapted for magnetic mirror plasmas [1] and is now routinely used in no-free-parameter classical integrated modeling of mirror devices [2, 3]. In the present effort, we report on two RF methods of plasma heating in mirror machine. The fast ions (FI) are heated by Fast waves at 2nd-4th harmonic, where FIs originate from neutral beam injection at 45 degrees to the magnetic field. The scenario shows an efficient ion heating near the FI bouncing point. The electrons are heated by X-mode launched from the high magnetic field side towards the resonance. Different from the tokamak applications, CQL3D-m provides an evolving self-consistent ambipolar parallel electric field, which determines the shape of the loss cone and hence an accurate confinement time of both ions and electrons. Also, it includes a description of ion and electron sources and sinks (related to charge exchange and impact ionization) which are updated at every time step. CQL3D-m utilizes a fully nonlinear Coulomb collision operator that is important for the significantly non-Maxwellian ion distributions typically established in mirror plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2002

Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket Engine

An engine is disclosed, including a controllable output plasma generator, a controllable heater for selectably raising a temperature of the plasma connected to an outlet of the plasma generator, and a nozzle connected to an outlet of the heater, through which heated plasma is discharged to provide thrust. In one embodiment, the source of plasma is a helicon generator. In one embodiment, the heater is an ion cyclotron resonator. In one embodiment, the nozzle is a radially diverging magnetic field disposed on a discharge side of the heater so that helically travelling particles in the beater exit the heater at high axial velocity. A particular embodiment includes control circuits for selectably directing a portion of radio frequency power from an RF generator to the helicon generator and to the cyclotron resonator so that the thrust output and the specific impulse of the engine can be selectively controlled. A method of propelling a vehicle is also disclosed. The method includes generating a plasma, heating said plasma, and discharging the heated plasma through a nozzle. In one embodiment, the nozzle is a diverging magnetic field. In this embodiment, the heating is performed by applying a radio frequency electro magnetic field to the plasma at the ion cyclotron frequency in an axially polarized DC magnetic field.

Franklin R Chang-Diaz↗
NASA NTRS1989

Plasma ion heating of an SO2 atmosphere on Io

The Jovian plasma-ion heating of any atmospheric gas over Io is shown to be important for determining the temperature structure and the location of the exobase and for limiting diffusive separation in Io's atmosphere. This is used, along with the plasma supply rate, to estimate an average column of gas over the trailing hemisphere of about 3 x 10 to the 16th SO2/sq cm with exobase at about 1.4 Io radii.

Johnson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Physics of the inner heliosphere 1-10R sub O plasma diagnostics and models

The physics of solar wind flow in the acceleration region and impulsive phenomena in the solar corona is studied. The study of magnetohydrodynamic wave propagation in the corona and the solutions for steady state and time dependent solar wind equations gives insights concerning the physics of the solar wind acceleration region, plasma heating and plasma acceleration processes and the formation of shocks. Also studied is the development of techniques for placing constraints on the mechanisms responsible for coronal heating.

Withbroe, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Microwave diagnostic for the determination of the electron temperature of a low density shock-heated argon plasma

The diffraction, defocusing and beam bending effects of microwaves transmitted through a bounded shock-heated argon plasma with low electron density are investigated with the purpose of developing an accurate method for electron temperature (Te) determination. This report describes the evaluation technique and presents results for an argon plasma with pressure between 3 and 10 torr, and T2 between 5500 and 9500 K. The electron temperature values obtained have a range of uncertainty between -20% and +10% only. The electron temperature is equal or lower by approximately 1000 K in comparison to the heavy particle temperature (T2).

Schneider, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Dissipation and turbulent heating of plasma in Jupiter's magnetosphere

Voyager 1 observations of plasma waves in the dayside Jovian magnetosphere which show a correlation with measurements of localized concentrations of cool thermal plasma are presented. This moderately intense broadband electrostatic noise is shown to be of sufficient intensity to accelerate superthermal ions to energies approximately 1 keV and higher. This process can account for the extensive heating of plasma in the magnetosphere and can energize a fraction of heavy ions to injection threshold for a high-energy second stage acceleration mechanism. A brief discussion of the relation of this noise to Jovian magnetospheric dynamics is included.

Barbosa, D. D.↗