Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of a Magnetic Sail

摘要

A magnetic sail (Magsail) is a unique deep-space propulsion system that captures the momentum of the solar wind by a large artificial magnetic field produced around a spacecraft. To clarify the momentum transfer process from the solar wind to the spacecraft, we simulated the interaction between the solar wind and the artificial magnetic field of the Magsail using the magnetohydrodynamic model. The result showed the same plasma flow and magnetic field as those of the magnetic field of the Earth; when the solar wind passes a bow shock, the solar wind is decelerated and deflected because the solar wind cannot penetrate into the magnetic field, which is called the magnetosphere around the spacecraft. The change of the solar-wind momentum resulted in a pressure distribution along the magnetopause, which is the boundary between the solar-wind plasma and the magnetosphere. The pressure on the magnetopause is then transferred to the spacecraft via the Lorentz force between the induced current along the magnetopause and the current along the coil of the spacecraft. The simulation successfully demonstrated that the change of the momentum of the solar wind is transferred to the spacecraft via the Lorentz force, and the drag coefficient of the Magsail'was estimated to be 0.9 ±0.1 when the magnetic dipole is parallel to the solar wind.