Thrust vectoring of laser-ablated aluminum plasma using permanent magnets
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Magnetic steering of the thrust vector for laser-ablated plasma was experimentally studied in vacuum using a uniform 1.0 Tesla magnetic field permanent magnet assembly whose field lines passed directly through the ablation surface. In this study, an aluminum plasma was formed by ablating a solid target surface with a single pulse of 20 mJ from a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. A 1-MHz-frame-rate camera captured continuous sequential images of the ejected plasma plume. This work demonstrates that a 1.0 Tesla applied magnetic field collimates the plasma plume and deflects the plasma along the magnetic field lines. It was also determined that the plume collimation increases with multiple laser pulses in the same spot. These results indicate that thrust vectoring can be achieved using permanent magnets. Copyright 2012 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.
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50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition