Abstract
Magnetic Plasma Sail (MPS) is an advanced space propulsion system which utilizes an artificial magnetosphere induced by a spacecraft as a sail captures the solar wind dynamic pressure. In the system, the aerodynamic force of solar wind plasma acting on the magnetosphere turns into the thrust force of spacecraft as a result of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) interaction of the plasma flow with the magnetopause. Aerodynamic characteristics of the solar wind plasma at the magnetosphere are extremely complicated because the solar wind is magnetized by Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) which temporally changes its strength and direction. In the present study, three-dimensional ideal MHD simulations are conducted in order to reveal the effect of IMF on the thrust performance, steering angle and pitching moment (torque) of spacecraft. The simulation results show that high thrust performance is obtained when the direction of IMF is perpendicular to both the direction of solar wind flow and the direction of magnetic dipole moment of the coils in the spacecraft. Furthermore, the pitching moment associated with IMF acting on the spacecraft is induced in the direction so that the magnetic dipole moment becomes parallel to the IMF direction.
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