Re: <Two bits worth

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

>
>
>> Kevin wrote:
>> >I think this system is worth studying.  IF both parts leave Sol by maser 
>> >sail, and separate at the halfway point.  with the decellerator keeping 
>> >the maser sail (using it as an antenna converting the maser to elec) and 
>> >blasting (new twist) fusion fuel right down the Explorer's throat, i 
>> >think it might work.  
>
>> Tim says:
>
>> I've thought several times about this solution. I think the problem is that
>> the thing cannot blast the stuff accurately enough to the mouth of the
Asimov.
>> I always assumed the fly-away part needed some control from people and thus
>> those were doomed to die flying at near c velocities between the stars.
>
>It doesn't need to be very accurate, a (relatively) small ram scoop could 
>be used.  since the decellerator would be increasing the local denisty of 
>hydrogen (actually it would be nice 2H and 3He or 6Li or 11B) a ram scoop 
>of only a few kilometers could do the trick.  We'd only have to calculate 
>the time difference between the decellerator portion and the crew section
>then see what a reasonable sideways component to the decellarator's 
>exhaust is.  then we have a good guess for the ram-scoop size.  

>From now on I call the part of the ship that flies away from the original
Asimov the "lost-end".

Hmm, the design get more complex by the minute, we are now using beamed
energy for a lineac onboard during the acceleration, then during
deceleration we use stored energy and that same lineac to fire on the
Asimov, the Asimov catches it with a scoop, then we have to use the
particles to decelerate (magsail or just plain collision?)

- Beamed energy and an "antenna" (or EM-sail?)
- A Lineac or torroidal accelerator
- Onboard fuel for the deceleration part (then in the lost-end)
- A Scoop that bend the path of particles moving at high velocities.
- A magsail?

But to come back on the scoop, can it bend the pathway of the particles
enough? I could imagine that the particles cannot be bend enough when
approaching with high velocities. But then still, I remember me "fighting"
for my retro-mirror design: Besides that the mirror itself would diffuse the
EM-waves a lot of discussion was there about directing the mirror itself
(ask Kelly).
This does not mean that 'I' do think that directing the beam is a problem.
But ofcourse the lost-end is much more complicated than a retro-mirror.

>There is one reason I would not like this Solution, it throws away the 
>big tanks and the lineac core, both of which could be very useful to the 
>exploration crew.  But seeing as this seems to have a good chance of 
>working, I suggest that we explore this option a little bit farther to 
>see if we run into any violations of the Laws of physics.

Yes, this is indeed a big problem, especially because we already have such a
complicated ship.

Timothy