- #1
sanman
- 745
- 24
I'm x-posting this from the Aerospace Engineering forum, to see if I can get more responses here
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I'd read about the investigation into using C60 fullerenes as propellant in an ion engine, due to their high molecular weight and low ionization energy:
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0094576502001157
By this reasoning, shouldn't buckyonions be even better candidates as propellant, since they have many layers, each of which would be influenced/polarized by the ionization/polarization of the adjacent layers?
Furthermore, I'd also read about Silicon fullerenes, like Si60, which not only have even higher molecular weight, but also have high magnetic spin properties as well.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/93513554/abstract
Wouldn't it be possible to use Silicon fullerenes as propellant under the Lorentz force, for even better thrust performance?
What would be the main challenges or difficulties in doing so?
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I'd read about the investigation into using C60 fullerenes as propellant in an ion engine, due to their high molecular weight and low ionization energy:
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0094576502001157
By this reasoning, shouldn't buckyonions be even better candidates as propellant, since they have many layers, each of which would be influenced/polarized by the ionization/polarization of the adjacent layers?
Furthermore, I'd also read about Silicon fullerenes, like Si60, which not only have even higher molecular weight, but also have high magnetic spin properties as well.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/93513554/abstract
Wouldn't it be possible to use Silicon fullerenes as propellant under the Lorentz force, for even better thrust performance?
What would be the main challenges or difficulties in doing so?
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