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Possible acceleration systems
#2
The 'collimated solar wind' idea may work for interplanetary transport, but for an interstellar boost system, it would be problematic. Solar wind particles are charged, so they could be collimated - but charged particles repel each other, so they would spread out and quickly lose focus. An interstellar acceleration pathway needs to be very long, so you need a beam that won't spread out.

The mass particles in an OA boostbeam are neutral, so they won't spread out. The most advanced versions use small but very smart particles that can 'home-in' on the spacecraft's sail, so they won't spread out at all, even by diffraction.
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Messages In This Thread
Possible acceleration systems - by The Architect - 06-29-2020, 05:54 AM
RE: Possible acceleration systems - by stevebowers - 06-29-2020, 08:01 PM
RE: Possible acceleration systems - by Drashner1 - 07-01-2020, 12:35 AM

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