07-09-2013, 06:51 PM
A lagrange magshield could, in theory, be located quite close to the planet, by extending the length of the tether. This would increase the efficiency, but the increasing gravity near the planet would increase the strain on the tether until it could no longer withstand the weight of the shield.
A magshield on the surface of that planet as described in this article would not have this problem, and would be easier to maintain, but it would impose 5km wide no-go zones all round the planet. Actually I think these zones would not be impassable obstacles, but rather inconvenient barriers, which could be crossed quite easily in a tunnel lined with a Faraday Cage. Think of them as giant rivers or mountain chains passing all round the world- they could act as political barriers as well as physical ones.
A magshield on the surface of that planet as described in this article would not have this problem, and would be easier to maintain, but it would impose 5km wide no-go zones all round the planet. Actually I think these zones would not be impassable obstacles, but rather inconvenient barriers, which could be crossed quite easily in a tunnel lined with a Faraday Cage. Think of them as giant rivers or mountain chains passing all round the world- they could act as political barriers as well as physical ones.