Generation of Thrust Force in High Density and Low Temperature Plasma by Neutral Entrainment

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to discuss the concept of a device that uses dense low temperature atmospheric plasma to generate thrust to enable vertical take-off and landing. Plasma consisting of atmospheric gases and potassium admixture have been enclosed in a toroidal chamber with the help of a magnetic field ( $B$ ) and a radial electric field ( $E$ ) placed perpendicular to it. The electric field induces the parallel current ( $j_{II} $ ) and drives the $E\times B$ drift in azimuthal direction, which in partially ionized and weakly magnetized plasma induces the Hall current ( $j_{\wedge } $ ). The Hall current induces the $B_{p} $ paramagnetic field with an intensity up to 5.5 T, and the parallel current induces the azimuthal field ${B}''_{\Phi } $ with an intensity up to 4 T. Ohmic heating controlled by these two currents raises the plasma temperature from 0.44 eV (injection temperature) to 1.38 eV (which is the upper value resulting from the emergence of electrothermal instability). Neutrals injected into the toroidal chamber are heated by charge exchange collisions (CEXs), then they are released through a cylindrical nozzle generating the thrust force ( $F_{T} $ ) of $\sim 2.91\cdot 10^{5} \textrm {N}$ at a temperature of ~ 1 eV. Power consumption at this thrust level attains $\sim 1.32\cdot 10^{9} \textrm {W}$ and can be covered by remote microwave or laser power sources.