Related papers: Electromagnetic forces on a relativistic spacecraf…
Relativistic spacecraft, like those proposed by the NASA Starlight program and the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, will have to survive radiation production that is unique when compared to that experienced by conventional spacecraft. In a…
The kinetic effects of magnetic fields on the transport of relativistic jet in the intergalactic medium remain uncertain, especially for their perpendicular component. By particle-in-cell simulations, we find that when only jet electrons…
The Breakthrough Starshot initiative aims to launch a gram-scale spacecraft to a speed of $v\sim 0.2$c, capable of reaching the nearest star system, $\alpha$ Centauri, in about 20 years. However, a critical challenge for the initiative is…
We study the drag force on dust grains moving at relativistic velocities through interstellar gas and explore its application. First, we derive a new analytical formula of the drag force at high energies and find that it is significantly…
As part of the NASA Starlight collaboration, we look at the implications of radiation effects from impacts with the interstellar medium (ISM) on a directed energy driven relativistic spacecraft. The spacecraft experiences a stream of…
The degree to which interstellar grains align with respect to the interstellar magnetic field depends on disaligning as well as aligning mechanisms. For decades, it was assumed that disalignment was due primarily to the random angular…
We investigate obstacles of superluminal "warp drive" travels from interactions with interstellar matter and from curvature effects. The effect of collision of interstellar dust particles and photons with the spacecraft will all lead to a…
Achieving relativistic flight to enable extrasolar exploration is one of the dreams of humanity and the long term goal of our NASA Starlight program. We derive a fully relativistic solution for the motion of a spacecraft propelled by…
A detailed study is made of the space-time transformation properties of intercharge forces and the associated electric and magnetic force fields, both in classical electrodynamics and in a recently developed relativistic classical…
Electromagnetic radiation of a relativistic gas or plasma jet in the field of a plane gravitational wave is investigated. The gravitational wave is considered as a weak (linearized) field on flat Minkowski spacetime. It is assumed that the…
Electrically charged systems bound by a strong gravitational force can sustain a huge amount of electric charge (up to 10^20C) against Coulomb repulsion. General relativistically such systems form a stable hydrostatic configuration both in…
Relativistic stars are endowed with intense electromagnetic fields but are also subject to oscillations of various types. We here investigate the impact that oscillations have on the electric and magnetic fields external to a relativistic…
Radiative torques on irregular dust grains, in addition to producing superthermal rotation, play a direct dynamical role in the alignment of interstellar dust with the local magnetic field. The equations governing the orientation of…
The attitude stabilization of a charged rigid spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using torques due to Lorentz force in pitch and roll directions is considered. A spacecraft that generates an electrostatic charge on its surface in the Earth…
Following Prendergast we study the relativistically expanding electromagnetic fields generated by an axisymmetric explosion of magnetic energy in a small volume. The magnetic field expands uniformly either within a cone or in all directions…
This dissertation explores the dynamics of relativistic spaceflight, focusing on the risks associated with collisions and photon interactions as a spacecraft approaches velocities near the speed of light. The study emphasizes two primary…
A rotating star with a monopole (or split monopole) magnetic field gives the simplest, prototype model of a rotationally driven stellar wind. Winds from compact objects, in particular neutron stars, carry strong magnetic fields with modest…
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the alignment of grains with the interstellar magnetic field, including paramagnetic dissipation, radiative torques, and supersonic gas-grain streaming. These must compete with disaligning…
We formulate deformation of relativistic stars due to the magnetic stress, considering the magnetic fields to be perturbations from spherical stars. The ellipticity for the dipole magnetic field is calculated for some stellar models. We…
All known interstellar transportation methods encounter monumental technological or engineering roadblocks, or even rely on speculative unknown science. In particular light of the recent public excitement and ensuing disappointment…