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@article{203092,
        author = {Sonwalkar Yash Tanaji and Himani V. Deshpande},
        title = {A Multi-Domain Analysis of Relativistic Plasma Acceleration in Magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) Propulsion Systems via Multivariable Calculus},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {11862-11872},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=203092},
        abstract = {Magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) plasma thrusters represent an inherently low-complexity solution to electromagnetic thrusters; wherein ionized plasma is accelerated by crossed electric and magnetic fields. Nevertheless, sophisticated numerical simulations of MHD thrusters remain complex, time-consuming, and computationally costly, inhibiting their use in conceptual design studies and academic research endeavors. In this paper, a reduced-order numerical approach is introduced to study plasma acceleration and thrust performance tendencies of an MHD thruster using a macro-particle approach based on the Lorentz force formulation. In this approach, momentum similarity is retained while employing loosely coupled, massively parallel numerical solution methods, suitable for efficiently modeling three-dimensional plasma dynamics within an MHD thruster. A new, experiment-validated, fundamental, and normalized physical characteristic, named Helical Axial Coupling Index (HACI), is formulated to identify rotational losses relative to thrust-producing components of axial plasma acceleration. The results of numerical modeling clearly identify tendencies of helical plasma trajectories, resembling tendencies of electric, magnetic, and coupled domains of acceleration dominance. Though not optimized to estimate absolute performance, theoretical models, akin to this study, provide useful physical turbencies of efficiency performance, hence applicable in conceptual design studies, research, and academic explorations on surrogate electromagnetic thruster acceleration principles.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {May},
        }