Escape Trajectories of Solar Sails and General Relativity
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2010-12-17 v1 Space Physics
Abstract
General relativity can have a significant impact on the long-range escape trajectories of solar sails deployed near the sun. Spacetime curvature in the vicinity of the sun can cause a solar sail traveling from 0.01 AU to 2550 AU to be deflected by as much as one million kilometers, and should therefore be taken into account at the beginning of the mission. There are a number of smaller general relativistic effects, such as frame dragging due to the slow rotation of the sun which can cause a deflection of more than one thousand kilometers.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0907.3336,
title = {Escape Trajectories of Solar Sails and General Relativity},
author = {Roman Ya. Kezerashvili and Justin F. Vazquez-Poritz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0907.3336},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
6 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the Sixth IAA Symposium on Realistic Near-Term Advanced Scientific Space Missions. Missions to the Outer Solar System and Beyond, pp. 67-72, Aosta, Italy, 6-9 July, 2009