|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 7:47:55 GMT
Well, it may turn out to be the only method that works at all for sustainable fusion, so by default it would become the best. That places fusion exploitation very far in the future, out to a point where it's unclear how much or even if the scale of operations will matter. The cool thing about megastructures is that there is nothing principally high-tech about them (relative to achieving spaceflight). The limit is us; how long we live and how far ahead we plan. You are suggesting that building a hypothetical megastructure which uses a giant solar sail, (with nearly the same area as the sun itself) which pushes the sun with it's own light? We need to mine the entire solar system, the thrust is extremely low, heck, I even think that the expansion of the universe would be faster than this ship. If half of the solar radiation thrust is directed on the sun itself back, we achieve an acceleration of 4m/...... 100,000 years. The best way to do this is... Convince the Sun to move for us.
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 7:49:40 GMT
You are suggesting that building a hypothetical megastructure which uses a giant solar sail, (with nearly the same area as the sun itself) which pushes the sun with it's own light? We need to mine the entire solar system, the thrust is extremely low, heck, I even think that the expansion of the universe would be faster than this ship. If half of the solar radiation thrust is directed on the sun itself back, we achieve an acceleration of 4m/...... 100,000 years. The best way to do this is... Convince the Sun to move for us. "One physically possible explanation for anomalous stellar motion is psychokinesis. The hypothesis is here presented that the “mind” of a conscious or sentient star can act directly upon the physical properties" ....
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 7:50:44 GMT
"One physically possible explanation for anomalous stellar motion is psychokinesis. The hypothesis is here presented that the “mind” of a conscious or sentient star can act directly upon the physical properties" .... Yeah it sounds absurd, but I like the idea XD Because, what the hell is conscious, anyways? We all have one, but we can't even begin to fathom it.
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 7:52:20 GMT
"One physically possible explanation for anomalous stellar motion is psychokinesis. The hypothesis is here presented that the “mind” of a conscious or sentient star can act directly upon the physical properties" .... Yeah it sounds absurd, but I like the idea XD Because, what the hell is conscious, anyways? We all have one, but we can't even begin to fathom it. *Handwaving intensifies* Even if they have consciousness, how would that make them move? That sounds like the whole "energy shield" story
|
|
|
Post by bigbombr on Jun 10, 2017 8:03:50 GMT
You could greatly boost thrust if you reflect solar wind in addition to solar light. Acceleration would probably go up a few orders of magnitude.
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 8:09:17 GMT
You could greatly boost thrust if you reflect solar wind in addition to solar light. Acceleration would probably go up a few orders of magnitude. Even if it is 1 million times higher, it would still have a acceleration of 3.33m/month
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 8:10:37 GMT
You could greatly boost thrust if you reflect solar wind in addition to solar light. Acceleration would probably go up a few orders of magnitude. Even if it is 1 million times higher, it would still have a acceleration of 3.33m/month So high. Yeah it sounds absurd, but I like the idea XD Because, what the hell is conscious, anyways? We all have one, but we can't even begin to fathom it. *Handwaving intensifies* Even if they have consciousness, how would that make them move? That sounds like the whole "energy shield" story To be honest, I also don't understand about that, but it seems like a fun idea.
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 8:28:47 GMT
Even if it is 1 million times higher, it would still have a acceleration of 3.33m/month So high. *Handwaving intensifies* Even if they have consciousness, how would that make them move? That sounds like the whole "energy shield" story To be honest, I also don't understand about that, but it seems like a fun idea. 1. Yup it certainly is, If you think 35,000 years is a short amount of time to travel to trappist-1. 2. How do we convince the sun to work for us? Giving it a steady supply of hydrogen?
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 8:37:26 GMT
So high. To be honest, I also don't understand about that, but it seems like a fun idea. 1. Yup it certainly is, If you think 35,000 years is a short amount of time to travel to trappist-1. 2. How do we convince the sun to work for us? Giving it a steady supply of hydrogen? 1. When you build a stellar engine, what is your goal? Do you even have to move an entire star system to the destination? 2. One of the biggest challenge in humanity's history (Btw, giving it a steady supply of hydrogen is more of killing it. You need to pump waste (Helium) out of the star, too.)
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 8:54:18 GMT
1. Yup it certainly is, If you think 35,000 years is a short amount of time to travel to trappist-1. 2. How do we convince the sun to work for us? Giving it a steady supply of hydrogen? 1. When you build a stellar engine, what is your goal? Do you even have to move an entire star system to the destination? 2. One of the biggest challenge in humanity's history (Btw, giving it a steady supply of hydrogen is more of killing it. You need to pump waste (Helium) out of the star, too.) A steady supply isn't killing the sun, if you just pump out waste helium, then someday the star won't have anymore fusion fuel, so supply it with hydrogen.
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 8:57:49 GMT
1. When you build a stellar engine, what is your goal? Do you even have to move an entire star system to the destination? 2. One of the biggest challenge in humanity's history (Btw, giving it a steady supply of hydrogen is more of killing it. You need to pump waste (Helium) out of the star, too.) A steady supply isn't killing the sun, if you just pump out waste helium, then someday the star won't have anymore fusion fuel, so supply it with hydrogen. what Kerr Nah, changed my mind. Some people really see the importance of choosing the right material. He-3 can be created on Earth though...
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 9:04:02 GMT
A steady supply isn't killing the sun, if you just pump out waste helium, then someday the star won't have anymore fusion fuel, so supply it with hydrogen. what Ah, over read the "too". If you remove the helium, and pump in new hydrogen then the star will life forever. Theoretically. The sun will one day start helium fusion, that's the point where it transform into a red giant.
|
|
|
Post by Kerr on Jun 10, 2017 9:08:23 GMT
The AstronomerDidn't you wanted to start a new fusion poll with stats?
|
|
|
Post by Rocket Witch on Jun 10, 2017 10:40:49 GMT
You are suggesting that building a hypothetical megastructure which uses a giant solar sail, (with nearly the same area as the sun itself) which pushes the sun with it's own light? We need to mine the entire solar system Mining Mercury may be sufficient, though that could be anything up to the entirety of Mercury's mass being processed, so if by mining the entire Solar System you mean bringing material down from many other bodies as not everything is avaiable on one, then quite likely. the thrust is extremely low, heck, I even think that the expansion of the universe would be faster than this ship. Expansion of the universe is already superluminal though, I think? Already something we may never catch up with. If half of the solar radiation thrust is directed on the sun itself back, we achieve an acceleration of 4m/...... 100,000 years. Yep. It's more like a mobile home than a means of travel. I mean, by the time we could build something like this, we may not be human anymore and 100k years might make little odds to us.
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 10, 2017 10:49:20 GMT
Why are you hauling an entire planetary system anyways?
|
|