PROJECT TITLE: DESIGN OF A HIGH INTENSITY PULSED PLASMA (HIPP) PROPULSION SYSTEM
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Investigating what lies just outside our solar system has become important to understanding the dynamics of our solar system -- even to understanding the fate of our race. The possibility exists that large-scale future events, such as an increase in local interstellar gas density caused by an approaching dust cloud, may impact human existence. Such possibilities necessitate an active exploration of deep space to understand just what is out there. We propose to reinvestigate the concept of nuclear-device driven spacecraft for deep space missions. We intend to examine the feasibility of developing very low yield devices that will produce a suitable impulse to a specially designed craft. The impulse may be delivered to the craft by impact, ablation, or coupling to a magnetic field. We will also assess the architecture requirements for missions to 500 AU, to design a system that could perform such a mission, and to design a proof-of-concept experiment that would demonstrate a technology which is the basis of the system. Development of a system capable of delivering megajoules per kilogram will allow highly instrumented platforms to make fast missions to great distances. Such a development will open the trans-Pluto-neighborhood to humanity.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The commercial applications of nuclear devices has been examined in the past in Project Plowshare at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Though several were identified, the use of nuclear devices in the public domain is clearly not an option. Thus, we do not propose to develop commercial applications of the nuclear systems other than for future space missions. However, we do foresee several commercial possibilities for the techniques and computer codes that will be developed to complete this project. The MHD coupling of high-density, low-temperature plasmas to magnetic fields is an undeveloped realm in plasma physics. Extension of our capabilities to model such conditions could have application in fusion concepts, plasma deposition of materials, and the design of radiation shielding for future communications satellites. In addition, the application of plasma to enhance the properties of material surfaces is a new exciting region of research. Much of the work in this project involves accurate modeling of the plasma interactions with the surfaces of materials.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Steven D. Howe
Synergistic Technologies, Inc.
19 Karen Circle
Los Alamos , NM 87544 - 3797
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
Synergistic Technologies, Inc.
19 Karen Circle
Los Alamos , NM 87544 - 3797