New concept for rocket thruster exploits the mechanism behind solar flares spacedaily.com

The device would apply magnetic fields to cause particles of plasma, electrically charged gas to shoot out the back of a rocket and propel the craft forward. Current space-proven plasma thrusters use electric fields to propel the particles.

The new concept would accelerate the particles using magnetic reconnection.

Current plasma thrusters that use electric fields to propel the particles can only produce low specific impulse, or speed while the new plasma thruster concept can generate exhaust with velocities of hundreds of kilometers per second.

There are three main differences between Ebrahimi’s thruster concept and other devices:

• The first is that changing the strength of the magnetic fields can increase or decrease the amount of thrust.
• Second, the new thruster produces movement by ejecting both plasma particles and magnetic bubbles known as plasmoids. The plasmoids add power to the propulsion and no other thruster concept incorporates them.
• Third, the magnetic fields allow the plasma inside the thruster to consist of either heavy or light atoms, tailoring the amount of thrust for a particular mission.

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