Electromagnetic Propulsion

Brice Cassenti
University of Connecticut
 Electromagentic Propulsion
Electric Rocket Propulsion
Solar and Laser Sailing
 Electromagnetic Forces
Particle with
Charge q
Mass m
Velocity v
Electric Field Intensity E
Magnetic Flux Density B

q E v B
dv
Equation of motion m
dt
 Plasma Drift

B applied magnetic field

E applied electric field
j current due to E
v drift velocity
 Hall Effect in a Solid

http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~bradfiel/advlab/Hall/hall-effect.pdf
 Current Flow in a Plasma
In a neutral plasma

j qni vi ne ve
ni , ne are the ion and electron number densities
Current is

j B pe me dj d ln n
j s E v B j
nqe nqe nqe dt dt

s is the conductivity
 Resistojet

Humble, et al
 Electron Bombardment Ion Thruster

Sutton
 Rail Acclerator

Sutton
 MPD Arcjet

Sutton
 Hall Accelerator

Sutton
 Solar and Laser Sails
Momentum of light
P E/c
Pressure due to reflection
p 2 I / c
Intensity of sun at earth
1360 W/m2
 Solar Sails

Google Solar Sail images

 Laser Sails

R.L. Forward
 Microwave Sail - Starwisp

R.L. Forward
 References
Davidson, R.C. and H. Qin, Physics of Intense Charged Particle Beams in High Energy
Physics, Imperial College Press, London and World Scientific Publishing Co., Pte.
Ltd., Singapore, 2001.
Davidson, R.C., Physics of Nonneutral Plasmas, Imperial College Press, London and
World Scientific Publishing Co., Pte. Ltd., Singapore, 2001.
Forward, R.L., Beamed Power Propulsion to the Stars, AAAS Symposium on
Interstellar Communication and Travel, AAAS Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, 25-20
May 1986
Hughes, W.F., and J.A. Brighton, Theory and Problems of Fluid Dynamics, Schaums
Outline Series, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1967.
Humble, R.W., G.N. Henry, and W.J. Larson, Space Propulsion Analysis and Design,
The McGraw-Hill Publishing Companies, Inc., New York, 1995.
Jeffrey, A., Magnetohydrodynamics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1966.
Samaras, D.G., Theory of Ion Flow Dynamics, Dover Publishers, Inc., New York, 1962
Sutton, G. and O. Biblarz, Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th edition, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., New York, 2001.