Plasma generator and propulsion exhaust system

Claim 1

A HIGH SPECIFIC-IMPULSE SPACE ENGINE COMPRISING: AN INNER HOUSING HAVING A RESTRICTED APERTURE ONLY AT ONE END; A FIELD WINDING SURROUNDING SAID INNER HOUSING AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD REGIME THROUGHOUT A MAJOR PORTION THEREOF AND AN INCREASED MAGNETIC MIRROR FIELD COPLANAR WITH THE APERTURE OF SAID ONE END AND HAVING AN ESCAPE CONE WHICH ENHANCES ION FLOW THROUGH THE APERTURE; MEANS ARRANGED TO PROVIDE FREE ELECTRONS WITHIN SAID UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD REGIME; AN ANNULAR ANODE POSITIONED AROUND SAID UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD REGIME AND ARRANGED EVENTUALLY TO RECEIVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ELECTRONS ADMITTED TO SAID REGIME; MEANS FOR REFLECTING SAID ELECTRONS TOWARD SAID MAGNETIC MIRROR; SAID REFLECTION MEANS, SAID ANODE AND THE MAGNETIC MIRROR COOPERATING TO ENTRAP SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ELECTRON WHCI FOLLOW A GYRATING PATH WITHIN SAID UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD REGIME; AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING IONIZABLE PARTICLES INTO THE ENTRAPMENT REGION TO BE BOMBARDED AND ENERGIZED BY THE ENTRAPPED ELECTRONS, SAID ELECTRONS BEING OF SUFFICIENT ENERGY TO IONIZE SAID PARTICLES WHEREBY AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE RESULTING IONS WILL GYRATE AROUND A LINE OF MAGNETIC FORCE THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE TO EGRESS THROUGH THE ESCAPE CONE AND THE RESTRICTED APERTURE AND ESCAPE REARWARDLY FROM THE ENGINE.