ANALYTICAL PERFORMANCE OF A PINCH PLASMA ACCELERATOR,

Abstract

The performance of an ideal pinch accelerator is analyzed on the basis of a snowplow model coupled with the external electric circuit. As a result a number of observations are made regarding the influence of the capacitance, voltage, inductance, resistance, and density distribution on the thrust/power ratio, the maximum efficiency, efficiency and specific impulse. The qualitative trends of the theory are correlated with experiment, and indicate a direction for the design of accelerators in stipulated specific impulse, thrust, and energy ranges. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 21, 1963
Accession Number
AD0818464

Entities

People

  • William Mcilroy

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aeronautics
  • Astronautics
  • Capacitance
  • Colorado
  • Efficiency
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Inductance
  • Observation
  • Plasma Accelerators
  • Resistance
  • Specific Impulse
  • Thrust

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design