Re: A new way of DEcelerating

[T.L.G.vanderLinden@student.utwente.nl (Timothy van der Linden)]

>???
>
>Maybe I'm tired, but I still don't understand how this thing works.  Sounds
>like if you can keep dumping the excess heart generated (and keep the thing
>from folding up) it should be a nice mag brake.   --- I think?

I think that you do understand, but to be sure I will explain it in 3 sentences:

The ionize plasma creates magnetic fields that create in their turn an
electric current in the array. The electrical resistance in the array then
dissipates energy in the form of heat.


This method needs a large net:

  -----------
  | | | | | |
  +-+-+-+-+-+
  | | | | | |
  +-+-+-+-+-+  all lines are several metres apart.
  | | | | | |
  -----------

in front or at the back! of the ship. At the back would probably be easier,
since it would be a kind of parachute.
As said before this method is a cheap way of decelerating, but the ISP
(Inter Stellar Plasma) is probably too few and too slow.

One could compare it with catching ISmatter, but magnetic coupling is easier
than catching matter at high speed.

I hope it's clear, if not you can ask me again, but the method won't improve :(

Timothy

(Answers to the other letters will follow over say 14 hours, at least if my
dailback-connection works as it should for a change)