Editing Fission-fragment rocket (section)

===Dusty plasma===
[[Image:Dusty plasma bed reactor.svg|right|thumb|Dusty plasma bed reactor{{ubli|style=padding-left:1.7em
|A. fission fragments ejected for propulsion
|B. reactor
|C. fission fragments decelerated for power generation
|d. moderator (BeO or LiH)
|e. containment field generator
|f. RF induction coil}}]]

A newer design proposal by Rodney L. Clark and Robert B. Sheldon theoretically increases efficiency and decreases complexity of a fission fragment rocket at the same time over the rotating fibre wheel proposal.<ref>{{cite conference |last1=Clark |first1=R. |last2=Sheldon |first2=R. |url=http://www.rbsp.info/rbs/PDF/aiaa05.pdf |title=Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Nuclear Reactor |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |publication-date=15 April 2007 |conference=41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit |date=10–13 July 2005 |location=Tucson, Arizona |id=AIAA Paper 2005-4460}}</ref> Their design uses [[nanoparticle]]s of fissionable fuel (or even fuel that will naturally radioactively decay) of less than 100&nbsp;nm diameter.  The nanoparticles are kept in a vacuum chamber subject to an [[Axis of rotation|axial]] [[magnetic field]] (acting as a [[magnetic mirror]]) and an external [[electric field]].  As the nanoparticles [[ionization|ionize]] as fission occurs, the dust becomes suspended within the chamber. The incredibly high surface area of the particles makes radiative cooling simple. The axial magnetic field is too weak to affect the motions of the dust particles but strong enough to channel the fragments into a beam which can be decelerated for power, allowed to be emitted for thrust, or a combination of the two. 

With exhaust velocities of 3% - 5% the speed of light and efficiencies up to 90%, the rocket should be able to achieve an [[Specific Impulse|''I''<sub>sp</sub>]] of over 1,000,000 seconds. By further injecting the fission fragment exhaust with a neutral gas akin to an [[afterburner]] setup, the resulting heating and interaction can result in a higher, tunable thrust and specific impulse. For realistic designs, some calculations estimate thrusts on the range of 4.5 kN at around 32,000 seconds ''I''<sub>sp</sub>,<ref name="b016">{{cite journal | last1=Gahl | first1=J. | last2=Gillespie | first2=A. K. | last3=Duncan | first3=R. V. | last4=Lin | first4=C. | title=The fission fragment rocket engine for Mars fast transit | journal=Frontiers in Space Technologies | volume=4 | date=2023-10-13 | issn=2673-5075 | doi=10.3389/frspt.2023.1191300 | doi-access=free | page=| arxiv=2308.01441 }}</ref> or even 40 kN at 5,000 seconds ''I''<sub>sp</sub>.<ref name="o735">{{cite conference | last1=Clark | first1=Rodney | last2=Sheldon | first2=Robert | title=41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit | chapter=Dusty Plasma Based Fission Fragment Nuclear Reactor | publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | date=2005-07-10 | isbn=978-1-62410-063-5 | doi=10.2514/6.2005-4460 | page=}}</ref>