Open Access
PLASMA THERMAL DYNAMICS IN THE MAGNETIC FIELD OSCILLATING AMPLIFIED (MOA) THRUSTER: AN EXAMINATION OF ADIABATIC HEATING PROCESSES
4
Institute of Space Propulsion, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Lampoldshausen, Germany
4
Department of Applied Physics and Space Technologies, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Russia
Abstract
The Magnetic Field Oscillating Amplified (MOA) thruster presents a novel approach to plasma propulsion, leveraging oscillating magnetic fields to enhance ion acceleration and plasma confinement. This study investigates the thermal dynamics of plasma within the MOA thruster, with a particular focus on the role of adiabatic heating. We examine the temporal and spatial evolution of plasma temperature and pressure under varying magnetic field strengths, using computational simulations and laboratory diagnostics. Results indicate that adiabatic compression driven by magnetic field oscillations significantly contributes to plasma heating, increasing thermal energy and ion velocities. The findings offer insights into optimizing MOA thruster designs for efficient energy transfer and enhanced propulsion performance.
Keywords
Plasma Propulsion,
MOA Thruster,
Adiabatic Heating
References
International Astronautical Federation (IAF) [Internet]. France: International Astronautical Congress (IAC); 2023. Available from: https://dl.iafastro.directory/search/?q=hettmer
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Grassauer A, Bartusch T, Koudelka PO. MOA: Magnetic Field Oscillating Amplified Thruster. In: 56th International Astronautical Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of Astronautics, and the International Institute of Space Law; 2005. p. C4-6.
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Grassauer A, Bartusch T, Koudelka O. Recent developments of the MOA thruster, a high performance plasma accelerator for nuclear power and propulsion applications. In: Proceedings of the 2008 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'08); 2008.
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Grassauer A, Bartusch T, Koudelka O. Recent Achievements in the Development of the MOA Thruster, a high Performance Plasma Accelerator for Space and Terrestrial Applications. In: Proceedings of the IAC 2009 Congress, 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC); Republic of Korea; 2009.
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Koudelka O, Löb H. MOA2—an R&D paradigm buster enabling space propulsion by commercial applications. In: Proceedings of the IAC 2010 Congress, 61st International Astronautical Congress (IAC); Czech Republic; 2010.
Acta Astronautica. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/search?qs=manfred%20hettmer
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Grassauer A, Bartusch T, Koudelka O. Recent activities in the development of the MOA thruster. Acta Astronautica. 2008 Jul 1; 63(1-4):389–399.
Frischauf N, Hettmer M, Koudelka O, Löb H. MOA2—an R&D paradigm buster enabling space propulsion by commercial applications. Acta Astronautica. 2012 Apr 1; 73:173–182.
Hettmer M. New Technology: Austrian Plasma Propulsion. Raumfahrt-Concret. 2/2006.
Löb H. Nuclear Engineering for Satellites and Rockets. Munich: Thiemig; 1970.
Löb H, Freisinger J. Ionenraketen. Wiesbaden: Vieweg & Teubner; 1967. ISBN: 978-3-663-06352-0.
Universität Augsburg. Untersuchung von Implantierten Cu-Proben. Bericht Nr. 3870 660.
Espacenet – Austrian Patent Office. Available from: https://worldwide.espacenet.com
Ziegler JF. SRIM: The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter [software].
Zohm H. Plasmaphysik I. LMU Munich; Winter Semester 2012/2013.
Nishikawa K, Wakatani M. Plasma Physics. Springer-Verlag; 1990.
Spatschek KH. Theoretische Plasmaphysik: Eine Einführung. Springer-Verlag; 1990.
Duderstadt JJ, Moses GA. Inertial Confinement Fusion. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1982.
Ruggiero AG. Nuclear Fusion of Protons with Boron. Brookhaven National Laboratory; Upton, NY, United States; 1992 Sep 1.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Dr. Eleanor Whitmore, Cloud-Native Smart Health Platforms: Scalable Machine Learning Deployment for Cardiovascular Prediction through Heroku, Salesforce, and Urban Data Ecosystems , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 01 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 01
- Bekzod Karimov, Dilnoza Akhmedova, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability: A Framework for Next-Generation Construction Management , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 08 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 08
- John M. Albright, Premium Networked Mobility, Fleet-as-a-Service, and the Digital Infrastructure of Sustainable Urban Transport , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 11 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 11
- Veherinskyi Taras Ihorovych, Optimization of Hydraulic System Operation in Agricultural Machinery for The Purpose of Reducing Energy Consumption , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 1 No. 01 (2024): Volume 01 Issue 01
- Raka Pratama, Siti Maharani, Policy-Based Automation for Secure Governance of Machine and Workload Identities in Cloud IAM , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 09 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 09
- Simone Marquez-Rodriguez, Artificial Intelligence-Driven Predictive Risk Analytics and Automation in Construction Project Management: Integrating Machine Learning, Computer Vision, And Data Intelligence for Safer and More Efficient Infrastructure Development , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 12 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 12
- Dr. Hao P. Zhou, Dr. Yong H. Liu, DRIVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA: THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENCY , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 07 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 07
- Dr. Santiago Velásquez, Platformized Hospitality: How Cloud-Based Saas Architectures Are Transforming Food Service And Guest Experience , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 11 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 11
- Valeria González, AI-Augmented Neural Architecture for Remote Ledger Bookkeeping with Fraud Detection and Exposure Forecasting , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 04 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 04
- Mateo Villarreal, Cloud-Enabled Big Data Analytics: Architectural Foundations, Security Challenges, And Sectoral Applications in The Era of Scalable Digital Intelligence , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 12 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 12