Laser Propulsion at Ambient Vacuum Conditions.

Abstract

The paper purpose is consideration of principal phenomena affecting a laser propulsion mechanism at ambient vacuum condition. The consideration is based on examination of a) conversion of laser pulse energy into a thermal energy of working gas, and b) conversion of the thermal energy into a kinetic energy of an exhaust gas of parabolic type lightcraft. If paraboloid is used like a laser jet engine unit, the process of laser energy explosion is realized at the conditions of strong variation of both radiation intensity and gas flow parameters within a parabolic type nozzle. It is shown that regimes of laser beam energy explosion, whichdepend on both laser radiation and working gas characteristics, affect strongly an amplitude of thrust impulse generated, even though momentum coupling coefficient determined via laser energy deposition does not change sufficiently.