[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: New idea Laser launcher/scoop systems
- To: KellySt@aol.com, kgstar@most.magec.com, stevev@efn.org, jim@bogie2.bio.purdue.edu, zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl, hous0042@maroon.tc.umn.edu, rddesign@wolfenet.com, David@InterWorld.com, lparker@destin.gulfnet.com, bmansur@oc.edu
- Subject: Re: New idea Laser launcher/scoop systems
- From: T.L.G.vanderLinden@student.utwente.nl (Timothy van der Linden)
- Date: Fri, 08 Mar 1996 16:32:16 +0100
>Hi,
>A couple days back, Tim ran threw the numbers to show what acceleration a
>'fuel packet' would need to get it up to 1/3rd light speed. Assuming a 100
>meter long launcher, the numbers came out at E14 m/s^2 I.E. 10 trillions
>G's. I was obviously upset to hear this. However that information and a
>flip comment I made about the size of a fuel packet ("it could be as big as
>a freight car if you wanted") combined.
I did some extra calculations, it seems that electrons have a centrifugal
accleration of about 1E10 m/s/s when rotating about an atom-core. If we are
going to accelerate things so fast, atoms are going to be ionized. This
means no ordinairy matter could be used.
>So, if you station a laser tug every 100,000 miles or so. They can take
>turns boosting a string of canisters. Given orbital mechanics. They will
>have to be continuously boosting themselves around to stay acceptably close
>to the 'Launcher' track. (No stable orbits.) Note that the exact
>possition of the tugs isn't important, but they must know exactly where
>they and the canisters are. Given this system the launcher can be as long
>as you need at the moment. If you space them out every 60,000 miles for
>100,000,000 kilometers (about a 1,000 tugs spaced from here to Mars.) The
>average G load on a canister exiting at a speed of 1/3rd C, is E5 m/s^2, or
>about 100,000 gs. Which seems reasonably possible for a solid block of
>reinforced metal and whatever.
So in short, you use a accelerator build up from several loose cannons in a
path spaced through our Solar system.
Changing the distances between accelerations may decrease the mean
acceleration but not the instant acceleration. I think it is the latter that
we need to be concerned about.
Your idea sounds good, but can the lasers correct the direction of the 100
ton packets?
Tim