When you watch science fiction movies, you wonder if you can travel between planets just like you travel between different countries. A new invention could achieve such a feat, and it was developed by Dr. Fatima Ebrahimi, a physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory of the US Department of Energy or PPPL.
The device that could revolutionize space travel is a new fusion machine that uses magnetic fields to move plasma particles. According to reports, the use of magnetic fields makes it possible, among other things, to manage the impulse generated by the machine and to change it according to type. Astronauts in controls can also change motivation in real time. We are talking about astronauts here because the biggest advantage of this new machine is that it allows The spacecraft will reach Mars 10 times faster Than electric field motions.
According to Ebrahimi, She came up with the idea for the impulse in 2017, thinking about the similarities between high-speed particles emitted from a computer and the ejection of a car.
Ten times faster
The fusion reaction is the process that takes place inside the sun and stars. It combines light elements in plasma form. The latter is a charged and high temperature material composed of free electrons and atoms. Plasma represents 99% of the visible universe and is known to produce enormous amounts of energy.
Today, existing plasma impulses use electric fields to excite particles, which can only generate less specific stimuli. According to the new invention, PPPL computers have been shown to be able to generate plasma jets at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second, which is 10 times more than other impulses.
According to Ebrahimi, a spacecraft with a high muzzle speed will allow it to visit the outer planets of the solar system. Currently, long-distance voyages can take months and even years because the specific excitation of chemical fuel rockets is so low, so it takes time for the ship to reach the desired speed.
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Superior features
Plasma impulses are not a new concept. However, Dr. Ebrahimi says his version differs from previous models on a three-point level.
First, when you differentiate the strength of the magnetic fields, the thrust can be increased or decreased. This allows for better maneuvering in space in a more precise way.
Then, the new impulse acts by expelling plasma particles, but also magnetic bubbles called plasmoids. These add power to the engine, and so far no concept has connected them to a propulsion system.
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In the end, the biggest difference is that the new machine uses magnetic fields to drive plasma particles, while previous designs used electric fields. Other engines use heavier gases such as xenon, but Ebrahimi explains that you can use any gas with the new one. We can choose light gases with small atoms that can move fast.
So, let’s look at the results of the first experiments of real conditions to get an idea of what this new impetus can really do, which, if really the solution, would allow mankind to move between the planets.