Plasmas for Propulsion

3.0 credits · Graduate

This course covers the physics, thermodynamics, and mechanics of ionized fluids for propulsion applications. This course begins by introducing principles of statistical thermodynamics to derive distribution functions for the fluid description of charged particles. Electrohydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic continuum models are introduced and applied to equilibrium problems ranging from the transport of a multi-species charged liquid in a propellant reservoir to the acceleration of a supersonic plasma flow. Both continuum and kinetic approaches are applied to understand the key principles and non-linear phenomena pertinent to the design and operation ion engines, Hall thrusters, and generic ion plumes.