Abstract.
Laser-supported propulsion of a micro-airplane with a water-covered ablator is demonstrated. The repetitive use of an overlay structure is experimentally demonstrated with a specially designed water supply. Various transparent overlays are investigated by the CIP-based hydrodynamic code and by experiments using a pendulum and using a semi-conductor load cell. A momentum-coupling efficiency of ∼104 N s/MJ is achieved by water–exotic-target experiments, in agreement with the simulation code, which predicts a maximum efficiency of ∼105 N s/MJ. The concept of laser-supported propulsion can also be used for driving a Mach 5 airplane in the stratosphere, a micro-ship inside the human body, and a robot in a nuclear power reactor accident, during which large numbers of neutrons make electronic devices useless.
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Received: 7 October 2002 / Accepted: 20 January 2003 / Published online: 28 May 2003
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Yabe, T., Phipps, C., Aoki, K. et al. Laser-driven vehicles – from inner-space to outer-space . Appl Phys A 77, 243–249 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2125-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2125-5