Investigations on the thrust generated during ablation of copper with single, double, or triple ultra-short laser pulses are presented in this paper with the goal to find the optimum parameters for laser propulsion thrusters. On the basis of high-precision weighing experiments, it is shown that the material initially ablated by the first pulse and redeposited by the second pulse of a double pulse leads to a significant increase of thrust. Hence, double pulses are a suitable method to propel vessels in space with enhanced thrust values while at the same time saving propellant material.
%0 Journal Article
%1 forster2020thrust
%A Förster, Daniel
%A Faas, Sebastian
%A Weber, Rudolf
%A Graf, Thomas
%D 2020
%J Applied Surface Science
%K laser lasermatterinteraction peer
%P 145391
%R https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145391
%T Thrust enhancement and propellant conservation for laser propulsion using ultra-short double pulses
%V 510
%X Investigations on the thrust generated during ablation of copper with single, double, or triple ultra-short laser pulses are presented in this paper with the goal to find the optimum parameters for laser propulsion thrusters. On the basis of high-precision weighing experiments, it is shown that the material initially ablated by the first pulse and redeposited by the second pulse of a double pulse leads to a significant increase of thrust. Hence, double pulses are a suitable method to propel vessels in space with enhanced thrust values while at the same time saving propellant material.
@article{forster2020thrust,
abstract = {Investigations on the thrust generated during ablation of copper with single, double, or triple ultra-short laser pulses are presented in this paper with the goal to find the optimum parameters for laser propulsion thrusters. On the basis of high-precision weighing experiments, it is shown that the material initially ablated by the first pulse and redeposited by the second pulse of a double pulse leads to a significant increase of thrust. Hence, double pulses are a suitable method to propel vessels in space with enhanced thrust values while at the same time saving propellant material.},
added-at = {2020-03-12T08:55:01.000+0100},
author = {Förster, Daniel and Faas, Sebastian and Weber, Rudolf and Graf, Thomas},
biburl = {https://puma.ub.uni-stuttgart.de/bibtex/294f51fef94477d5c592cfd70f7b08043/thomas_graf},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145391},
interhash = {414bc4bd2d5e3bb84dc6b9f0f911d082},
intrahash = {94f51fef94477d5c592cfd70f7b08043},
journal = {Applied Surface Science},
keywords = {laser lasermatterinteraction peer},
pages = 145391,
timestamp = {2020-03-12T07:56:17.000+0100},
title = {Thrust enhancement and propellant conservation for laser propulsion using ultra-short double pulses},
volume = 510,
year = 2020
}
