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#1 2004-03-21 11:52:49

ERRORIST
Member
From: OXFORD ALABAMA
Registered: 2004-01-28
Posts: 1,182

Re: Cold plasma acceleration

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#2 2004-03-21 12:54:33

GCNRevenger
Member
From: Earth
Registered: 2003-10-14
Posts: 6,056

Re: Cold plasma acceleration

Why would you want to? You can't accelerate a plasma with an electrostatic field like you can in an ion engine, the plasma itself has a low energy so it would have terrible exhaust velocity, and it would take alot of energy to create it for a very small thrust.

VASIMR, which is also a plasma rocket, achieves its high propellant efficency and thrust because of the HIGH temperature of the plasma, up to a million degrees potentially, which gives it extreme exhaust velocity.


[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]

[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]

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