Ion Propulsion

The metal has recently found application in ion propulsion systems. Cesium is used in atomic clocks, which are accurate to 5 s in 300 years. Its chief compounds are the chloride and the nitrate. 

Leary, W. E. (1998). Ion Propulsion of Science Fiction Comes to Life on New Spececraft. The New York Times, Oct. 6. 

A large part of the interest in electrostatic atomization has arisen from two fields of interest combustion of fuel oils and ion propulsion of rockets in space. Work in the latter area has been concerned primarily with atomization at high vacuum (10-8 atm) as in the work of Cohen (C5), Hogan (HI2, 13), Hendricks (H6), Schultz and Branson (S2), and Schultz and Wiech (S3). Graf (G8), Matthews and Mason (M3), Peskin and Raco (P3), Randall, Marshall, and Tschernitz (Rl), and Vonnegut and Neubauer (V4) have been concerned primarily with atomization at atmospheric pressure. Most of the... 

Cesium is used as a getter in electron tubes. Other applications are in photoelectric cells ion propulsion systems heat transfer fluid in power generators and atomic clocks. The radioactive Cs-37 has prospective applications in sterilization of wheat, flour, and potatoes. 

Potential uses of rubidium include use as a fuel for ion-propulsion engines and as a heat-transfer medium. 

Cesium or Caesium, Cs, at wt 132.91. silver -white, soft ductile metal, d 1.90, mp 28°, bp 690° soi in acids ale decomp by w can be prepd by chermochemical reduction of CsCl with Ca. Toxicity and fire expln hazards of Cs are discussed by SaxfRef 5). Liquid Cs has been suggested for ion propulsion systems and plasma for thermoelectric conversion(Ref 6). Muraour Aunis(Ref 4) have shown that salts... 

Optical Fluids Magnetic Fluids ILs in Solar Cells ILs in Ion propulsion ILs in Fuel Cells Heat Transfer Fluids Energetic Materials ILs for Electro-optics ILs for Biomass Processing Entrainers Acid Scavengers Hydraulic Fluids Lubricants Catalysts... 

Interesting additional electrical applications include the use of Cs for ion propulsion and to provide ionization in rectifiers (23) and the sodium heat engine concept (24). 

Multiphase reactions and extractions Embalming Ion propulsion Compatibilizers ... 

Use Photoelectric cells, getter in vacuum tubes, hydrogenation catalyst, ion propulsion systems, plasma for thermoelectric conversion, atomic clocks, rocket propellant, heat-transfer fluid in power generators, thermochemical reactions, seeding combustion gases for magnetohydrodynamic generators. 

Use Source of cesium, catalyst, fluxes, welding materials, ion propulsion, thermocouple units. 

Construction parts (W) for high-temperature nuclear reactors, fusion reactors, plasma technique, and ion propulsion. 

Ion propulsion jet (porous W). Emitters of electrostatic ion propulsion systems. Construction parts in space nuclear reactors (W and tungsten fiber reinforced Nb matrix alloys). 

Bruno, Claudio, ed. Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Systems. Reston, Va. American Instimte of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008. Essays examine the use of nuclear power on spacecraft. One chapter specifically examines ion thrusters and nuclear power. Doody, Dave. Deep Space Craft An Overview of Interplanetary Flight. New York Springer, 2009. Contains a chapter on propulsion and discusses ion propulsion in the greater context of spacecraft. 

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