Plasma Exhaust Drive

From Solas Tempus DB

This drive is the most basic drive possible, used to travel at velocities below the speed of light. Usually propulsion is accomplished through high velocity ejections of particles through some kind of nozzle or vent which shapes and focuses the created thrust. Thrust is created through Newtons Laws of Motion where every exertion of force has an equal and opposite reaction.

Efficiency of the transfer of kinetic energy from the exhaust to the ships actual movement is key for space travel, to this end different fuels and exhaust systems are used. In particular some ships use a focused plasma exhaust system. The EM field created by the plasma as it accelerates can be boosted by focusing and directing the force of the field as it pushes the ship forward. This is further augmented by focusing the plasma exhaust into focused intensified pulses of plasma.

This system has a theoretical maximum speed of ~0.7 to 0.8c or ~210 to 240 km/ms (kilometers per millisecond). This is impractical so the plasma pulse system is used mainly in concert with a Spacial Slipstream Drive to amplify the maximum slipstream speed. Normal velocities without the pulse system vary between ship designs but has a theoretical maximum of ~0.003c or around 550 m/s. It should be noted that it is possible to engage the pulse plasma system without using a Spacial Slipstream Drive, at velocities approaching even half the speed of light there is a 15% dilation effect, at .6c this increases to a 25% dilation relative to the outside world.