Related papers: Relativistic Light Sails
Electron accelerations of the order of $10^{21} g$ obtained by laser fields open up the possibility of experimentally testing one of the cornerstones of general relativity, the weak equivalence principle, which states that the local effects…
We propose convergent plasma lenses, possibly from current sheets, as a generic solution to strong interstellar scattering. These lenses resolve the overpressure problem by geometric alignment as noted by Goldreich and Shridhar (2006). They…
We shortly discuss several astrophysical scenarios leading to cosmic ray acceleration up to extremely high energies reaching the scale of 10^{20} eV. The processes suggested in the literature include acceleration at relativistic jet…
We present a simple thought experiment in which a beam of light of a finite length (a light-pulse) enters a detection device that consists of a wave detector and a light bulb. We examine the experiment from the reference frame where the…
We briefly report on some exact results [G. Fiore, arXiv:1312.4665 preprint, to appear in J. Phys. A] regarding plane waves in a relativistic cold plasma. If the plasma, initially at rest, is reached by a transverse plane electromagnetic…
We investigate the possibilities that pulsars act as the lens in gravitational microlensing events towards the galactic bulge or a spiral arm. Our estimation is based on expectant survey and observations of FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture…
It is well known that the solar gravitational field can be considered as a telescope with a prime focus at locations beyond 550 au. In this work we present a new derivation of the wave-optical properties of the system, by adapting the…
Stellar Doppler velocimetry determines a star's radial velocity $v_r$ via measurement of a redshift, $z$. At precisions below 10 m s$^{-1}$ conversion between the two quantities is complex, and care must be taken to properly account for the…
This paper is devoted to a practical model for relativistic reduction of positional observations with an accuracy of 1 \muas which is expected to be attained in the future space astrometry missions. All relativistic effects which are caused…
The concept of exploring space using solar power is energetically appealing, but interstellar solar sails typically require extremely low areal densities (~g/m^2). This work explores an alternative approach: storing solar energy as…
In this work, the notion of spacetime of maximal proper acceleration is motivated as a weak form to implement general covariance and a generalized form of Einstein's equivalence principle from a physical point of view and the fundamental…
Discovered in October 2017, the interstellar object designated 1I/'Oumuamua was the first such object to be observed travelling through our solar system. 1I/'Oumuamua has other characteristics never seen before in a celestial body and…
Cosmic gamma-ray photons incident on the upper atmosphere create air showers that move to the Earth's surface with superluminal speed, relative to the air. Even though many of these air showers remain superluminal all along their…
The exploration of interstellar space will require autonomous navigation systems that do not rely on tracking from the Earth. Here I develop a method to determine the 3D position and 3D velocity of a spacecraft in deep space using a star…
In this paper we show explicit and direct relations between the expected quantities and the observed quantities for the components of Galactic superluminal sources. Basic formulas for calculating the real speed and the angle to the line of…
We reconsider a thought experiment that employs the entanglement of the gravitational field with position space quantum states as a means for faster-than-light signaling. We present a protocol that includes the excitation to a higher…
Relativistic electron beams produced by intense lasers over short distances have important applications in high energy density physics and medical technologies. Vacuum laser acceleration with plasma mirrors injectors has garnered…
Exploiting the relative proximity of the nearby strong-lens galaxy SNL-1, we present a critical comparison of the mass estimates derived from independent modelling techniques. We fit triaxial orbit-superposition dynamical models to…
A unique analytical solution of planet and star parameters can be derived from an extrasolar planet transit light curve under a number of assumptions. This analytical solution can be used to choose the best planet transit candidates for…
The measurement of Doppler velocities in spectroscopic solar observations requires a reference for the local frame of rest. The rotational and radial velocities of the Earth and the rotation of the Sun introduce velocity offsets in the…