Abstract

SRF (synchrotron radiation fusion) drive for interplanetary spaceships

Author(s): J.E.Brandenburg

A concept first proposed by the author in 1991 in presentation on advanced propulsion before the NASA Synthesis Group is that of using the synchrotron radiation from D-He3 fusion plasmas to heat a magnetically confined hydrogen plasma for propulsion. This concept was explored by in detail in 1993 in NASA funded research and found to be successful. In this concept a fusion temperature Tokomak plasma burning d-He3 can transport unlimited megawatts of power to heat a propulsion plasma without any energy conversion hardware and with both the fusion and propulsion plasmas separately optimized for their respective roles. Separation of plasma from the magnetic nozzle, a serious problem in all plasma propulsion schemes, is also solved by using high-order multi-pole fields.