User talk:SimonHarvey/Sandbox/Plasma propulsion engine

Merging these articles is complicated because, at least according to the encyclopediae I've been reading, the reference to these types of engines as plasma engines is not correct. They are collectively called electric propulsion. They are subdivided into electrothermal (which is not plasma), ionic and magnetic (the last two of which are both plasma). The definition between the classes is based on the method of accelerating the ejected mass rather than the method of generating it. Therefore Hall and Helicon thrusters are both megnetic (or magneto-plasma-dynamic, if you prefer) even though they generate the plasma by ionizing a gas.

I think the proper way to do this is to have a set of pages under the heading of electric propulsion with links to subdivisions for each of the three types and stubs for each particular engine design. If so, there may be a plasma page that is under the elecric propulsion page, specificying that both ionic and magnetic are plasma. However, it may make more sense to have that information under the main electric propulsion page.

Many of these pages already exist. It may be best to merge this article with another, but not the one on ionic propulsion because plasma can be either ionic or magnetic. Again, according to the technical classifications I have read, Hall and Helicon are both under magnetic. Interesting point, although all magnetic types are magneto-plasma-dynamic (meaning magnetic fields are used to shape and accelerate a plasma) the one called by that name is a specific design. moisheweiss