Related papers: Relativistic Spacecraft Propelled by Directed Ener…
Relativistic jets carry a significant fraction of the total energy budget of a radio source, rivaling the power that is extracted through accretion. A minor part of this bulk kinetic power is transformed to radiation, possibly through…
In this paper, we propose novel methods to increase total luminosity and decrease error propagation during subluminal or luminal interstellar transits by navigation with star maps. We demonstrate with theoretical and simulation models in…
Just as the ordinary Doppler effect serves as a tool to measure radial velocities of celestial objects, so can the relativistic Doppler effect be implemented to measure a combination of radial and transverse velocities by using recent…
Fast Magnetic Reconnection is currently regarded as an important process also beyond the solar system, specially in magnetically dominated regions of galactic and extragalactic sources like the surrounds of black holes and relativistic…
Spacecraft relative motion planning is concerned with the design and execution of maneuvers relative to a nominal target. These types of maneuvers are frequently utilized in missions such as rendezvous and docking, satellite inspection and…
Understanding of the nature of dark energy, which appears to drive the expansion of the universe, is one of the central problems of physical cosmology today. In an earlier paper [Daly & Djorgovski (2003)] we proposed a novel method to…
A vast wealth of literature exists on the topic of rocket trajectory optimisation, particularly in the area of interplanetary trajectories due to its relevance today. Studies on optimising interstellar and intergalactic trajectories are…
Relativistic jets carry energy and particles from compact to very large scales compared with their initial radius. This is possible due to their remarkable collimation despite their intrinsic unstable nature. In this contribution, I review…
The prospects of using extreme relativistic laser-matter interactions for laboratory astrophysics are discussed. Laser-driven process simulation of matter dynamics at ultra-high energy density is proposed for the studies of astrophysical…
Radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) is a highly efficient mechanism of laser-driven ion acceleration, with with near complete transfer of the laser energy to the ions in the relativistic regime. However, there is a fundamental limit on…
Gravitational radiation is an elusive form of radiation predicted by general relativity, it is the subject of intense theoretical and experimental research at the limit of the sensitivity of today's instrumentation. In spite of the fact…
Within the framework of general relativity, we investigate the tidal acceleration of astrophysical jets relative to the central collapsed configuration ("Kerr source"). We neglect electromagnetic forces throughout. The rest frame of the…
The discovery of relativistic jets and superluminal sources associated with accreting X-ray binaries in the Galaxy opened new ways of investigating the physics of outflows from compact objects. The short timescales and relatively large…
Achieving laser-driven, reflective, relativistic light sails would represent a tremendous breakthrough for humankind, allowing us to advance our understanding of the solar system and deep space far beyond what we know from space probes,…
A novel non-reactive thrust principle based on controlling the angular momentum of a material body is proposed. Theoretically, it is shown that asymmetric emission/absorption of low-energy particle fluxes with spin in a direction…
A hypotheses of energy loss for polarization of e-e+ vacuum by a photon passing interstellar space is considered. An excitation and relaxation of vacuum can't run with speed of light due to very small but finite fraction of e-e+ pair mass…
We recover the relativistic kinetic energy as the result of the work of a force.
We outline a method of beamed power for propulsion that utilizes relativistic electron beams. The physics of charged particle beam propagation in the space plasma environment is discussed and the long-range (>100 A.U.) advantage of…
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…
Microwave propelled sails are a new class of spacecraft using photon acceleration. It is the only method of interstellar flight that has no physics issues. Laboratory demonstrations of basic features of beam-driven propulsion, flight,…