Study of Fusion-Driven Plasma Thruster With Magnetic Nozzle

A report presents a computational study of a proposed plasma thruster for a spacecraft. The behavior of the plasma was computationally simulated by use of a mathematical model of magnetohydrodynamic flow implemented in the previously developed MACH2 computer program. To increase the accuracy of modeling of the magnetic field, MACH2 was modified by providing for an arbitrary number of current loops used to generate the applied magnetic field and by splitting the total magnetic field into applied and plasma-induced components. The results of the computational simulations contribute to understanding of the appropriate parameter regimes for the electron beam, the in-flowing working fluid, and the applied magnetic field.