nor contact between the plasma and any electrodes, hence it avoids most thruster erosion and spacecraft contamination issues. Applications Propulsion systems based on electrodeless plasma thrusters seem ideally suited for orbit raising for large geostationary satellites, and would also be able to perform orbital stationkeeping, hence enabling important propellant mass savings. The ability of this technology to provide large thrust density also allows faster missions to the outer planets. Other research on the same phenomenon The use of ponderomotive force to accelerate a plasma has recently been investigated from a theoretical point of view by Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory scientists I. Y. Dodin, Y. Raitses and N. J. Fisch. Some theoretical research has also been reported around the debated issue of the existence of a double layer in such a thruster, even if such a double layer structure would be current-free, as both ions and electrons travel in the same direction at the same average terminal speed. The existence of current free double layer is still debated among plasma physicists. See also Electrodeless plasma excitation List of plasma (physics) applications articles Electrodeless lamp References External links AIAA paper on this technology List of articles, presentations and patents by the Elwing Company on this technology Ion engines Spacecraft components