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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

A 100 KW Class Applied-field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster
Published on: December 22, 2018
Kink instability in applied-field magneto-plasma-dynamic thrusters
M Zuin1, R Cavazzana, E Martines
1Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla fusione, corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
Measurements of magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations in an applied field magneto-plasma-dynamic thruster have shown that a m/n=1/1 kink mode becomes unstable whenever the Kruskal-Shafranov limit is violated. A positive correlation is established between the kink and performance degradation at high current, which has until now prevented the use of this kind of thruster in space missions.
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