English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Zendy Plus

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Zendy Tools

Zendy Open

*† The role of the ambipolar potential in the propulsive capability of the Gasdynamic Mirror (GDM) has been studied previously. The electrostatic potential arises as a result of the initial rapid escape of the electrons due to their small mass, leaving behind an excess of ions and creating a positive electric potential that slows down the electron escape while speeding up the ions until their respective axial diffusion are equalized. As a result, the ion confinement time is reduced while the ion escape energy is increased by an amount equal to the potential, translating into increased thrust and specific impulse. Previous studies, however, have only considered a GDM configuration with equal mirror ratios at both ends such that on average half of the ions escape through either end of the GDM. For a thruster it is desirable to bias the direction of ion escape to the thrusting end of the GDM. This can be achieved by properly controlling the mirror ratio at both ends such that on average a specified fraction of ions escape through the thrusting end. Due to this asymmetry, the magnitude of the ambipolar potential is changed, and as a result, the ion confinement time and escape energy are affected resulting in different propulsive capabilities compared to the case of a symmetric system.

Propulsive Capability of an Asymmetric GDM Propulsion System