A plasma generation apparatus, and a plasma thruster configured to use the plasma generation apparatus are disclosed. The plasma generation apparatus includes a discharge vessel, a light-emitting monitor, a probe measuring instrument, a control device, and an optical axis driving unit. The discharge vessel is configured to ionize gas which is introduced to an inside thereof so as to generate plasma. The light-emitting monitor is configured to measure electron density of the plasma by emission spectra of the plasma. The probe measuring instrument is configured to measure the electron density of the plasma by a probe in the discharge vessel.

An electromagnetic energy momentum thruster has a cavity resonator and an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting an electromagnetic wave in evanescence into the cavity resonator. The electromagnetic wave produces a greater electromagnetic field amplitude and a greater electromagnetic radiation pressure on a primary interior surface area of the cavity resonator than on a secondary interior surface area of the cavity resonator. The difference between the electromagnetic field amplitude on the primary interior surface area and on the secondary interior surface area of the cavity resonator forms a highly directional electromagnetic energy momentum tensor and provides a highly directional general relativistic metric tensor. As a result, a force is produced on the cavity resonator in the form of a thrust or an acceleration that propels the device in a direction substantially perpendicular to the primary interior surface area.

An ion thruster is provided allowing a plasma discharge to be generated and confined in an external confinement space created by an external magnetic field B.

Plasma which is supplied from a supply passage (1) is accelerated with a Hall electric field (E) which is generated through interaction of electrons (e.sup.) emitted from a cathode (3), a radial direction magnetic field (Bd), and an electric field (Ex).

Disclosed is a radio-frequency plasma generating system including a radio-frequency generator and a plasma source, the radio-frequency generator being inductively or capacitively coupled to the plasma source through a resonant electric circuit, the radio-frequency generator being adapted to receive direct current power from a direct current power supply and for generating radio-frequency power at a frequency f, the radio-frequency power including a reactive radio-frequency power oscillating in the resonant electric circuit and an active radio-frequency power absorbed by the plasma. The radio-frequency plasma generating system includes a unit for measuring an efficiency of conversion E of direct-current power to active radio-frequency power absorbed by the plasma and a unit for adjusting the frequency f as a function of the measured efficiency of conversion E to maintain the efficiency of conversion E in a predetermined range within a RF plasma operational range.

The invention provides a plasma production and control device that may be used in propulsion (e.g., satellite propulsion) and/or industrial applications. The plasma production system comprises a unidirectional magnetic field.

The present technology is directed to plasma systems and associated methods, including propulsion systems for flight vehicles. A representative system includes a plurality of coils. The coils include a first coil positioned along a force axis, a second coil positioned along the force axis and spaced apart from the first coil, and a third coil that is magnetically shielded. A controller is operatively coupled to the coils and is configured to (a) increase energy to the first coil to generate a magnetic field in a portion of the plasma adjacent to the first coil, (b) decrease energy to the first coil and increase energy to the second coil to translate the resulting superposed magnetic field through the plasma to a position adjacent the second coil, and (c) transfer energy from the second coil to the third coil and decrease energy to the second coil to reduce the magnetic field in the plasma.

An inductive plasma acceleration apparatus, comprising a pulse laser assembly, a pulsed discharge assembly, an exciting coil assembly, a solid-state working medium, and a control assembly; the exciting coil assembly is electrically connected to the pulsed discharge assembly such that a strong pulse current is produced in the exciting coil assembly during the discharge process of the pulse discharge assembly, and an inductive pulse electromagnetic field is excited around the exciting coil assembly; the solid-state working medium is positioned on the optical path of a pulse laser emitted by the pulse laser assembly such that the solid-state working medium produces a pulse gas under the ablation action of the pulse laser, and the inductive pulse electromagnetic field is positioned on the circulation gas path of the pulse gas such that the pulse gas can enter the inductive pulse electromagnetic field.

An electromagnetic fluid vortex power device includes a main air intake, auxiliary air intakes and vortex holes. The auxiliary air intakes are distributed on both sides of the main air intake and are separated by a division wall, the main air intake and the auxiliary air intakes are communicated through the vortex holes to form a communicated space, and a side wall of the main air intake is provided with an electromagnetic starter and an electromagnetic propeller. When the power device starts to work, a working medium generates electrical conductivity due to structures of the electromagnetic starter and the vortex holes and generates an electric field and a magnetic field intersecting with each other. The working medium in the auxiliary air intakes flows into the main air intake through the vortex holes to form vortexes, and then the electromagnetic propellers is started to work stably and persistently.

An injection system includes a reservoir for containing liquid, and a gating plate having a circular array of gating plate apertures. The injection system additionally includes a faceplate positioned adjacent to the gating plate and having a circular array of faceplate orifices. The injection system also has a motor to rotate the gating plate, and a controller to control the motor for rotating the gating plate into an aligned clocking orientation in which the gating plate apertures and the faceplate orifices are aligned to initiate the formation of a cylindrical array of liquid jets, and rotate the gating plate into a non-aligned clocking orientation terminate formation of the liquid jets after a predetermined discrete quantity of the liquid is injected.