Related papers: Interplanetary Medium as Fuel for Plasma Thrusters
The objective of this paper is to apply the recent achievements in understanding of the non-MHD effects in plasma (acquired both in laboratory experiments, as well as in theory), to the interstellar phenomena. Applied to the space plasma,…
Pulsars are factories of relativistic electrons and positrons that propagate away from the pulsar, permeating later our Galaxy. The acceleration and propagation of these particles are a matter of intense debate. In the last few years, we…
Fundamental questions on the nature of matter and energy have found answers thanks to the use of particle accelerators. Societal applications, such as cancer treatment or cancer imaging, illustrate the impact of accelerators in our current…
Explore alien solar systems via local star power using interstellar photovoltaics, tailored for the particular target star for maximum power and low mass. We consider tailored organic thin-film photovoltaics. Key for sensing, sending more…
In the solar atmosphere, jets are prevalent and they are significant for the mass and energy transport. Here we conduct numerical simulations to investigate the mass and energy contributions of the recently observed high-speed jets to the…
The concept of a system-wide measure of the sustainment of life (habitability) for space-faring interplanetary species is introduced and explored. Although largely agnostic to the details of how interplanetary life might operate (e.g., via…
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) shocks are known to accelerate particles and contribute significantly to Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events. We have performed Magnetohydrodynamic-Particle in Cell (MHD-PIC) simulations of ICME…
This paper analyzes the suitability of a beamed propulsion concept having properties consistent with the impulse gravity generator described by Podkletnov et al. [physics/0108005]. The use of this propulsion concept for orbital maneuver,…
Interstellar matter (ISM) sets the boundary conditions of the heliosphere and dominates the interplanetary medium. The heliosphere configuration has varied over recent history, as the Sun emerged from the Local Bubble and entered a…
Interstellar material surrounding an extrasolar planetary system interacts with the stellar wind to form the stellar astrosphere, and regulates the properties of the interplanetary medium and cosmic ray fluxes throughout the system.…
Massive, early-type stars deposit energy and momentum in the interstellar medium through dense, supersonic winds. These objects are one of the most important sources of ionising radiation and chemical enrichment in the Galaxy. The physical…
Interstellar radar is a potential intermediate step between passive observation of exoplanets and interstellar exploratory missions. Compared to passive observation, it has the traditional advantages of radar astronomy. It can measure…
Particles are accelerated to very high, non-thermal energies during explosive energy-release phenomena in space, solar, and astrophysical plasma environments. In the case of solar flares, it has been established that magnetic reconnection…
Interaction of cosmological gamma ray burst radiation with the dense interstellar medium of host galaxy is considered. Gas dynamical motion of interstellar medium driven by gamma ray burst is investigated in 2D approximation for different…
A review is presented of the scientific benefits of rapid (v >= 0.1c) interstellar spaceflight. Significant benefits are identified in the fields of interstellar medium studies, stellar astrophysics, planetary science and astrobiology. In…
Relativistic magnetically dominated turbulence is an efficient engine for particle acceleration in a collisionless plasma. Ultrarelativistic particles accelerated by interactions with turbulent fluctuations form non-thermal power-law…
Partially ionized plasmas are found across the Universe in many different astrophysical environments. They constitute an essential ingredient of the solar atmosphere, molecular clouds, planetary ionospheres and protoplanetary disks, among…
Although the powering mechanism for quasars is now widely recognized to be the accretion of matter in a geometrically thin disk, the transport of matter to the inner region of the disk where luminosity is emitted remains an unsolved…
An exotic spacecraft propulsion technology is described which exploits parity violation in weak interactions. Anisotropic neutrino emission from a polarized assembly of weakly interacting particles converts rest mass directly to spacecraft…
Laser sails propelled by gigawatt-scale ground-based laser arrays have the potential to reach relativistic speeds, traversing the solar system in hours and reaching nearby stars in years. Here, we describe the danger interplanetary dust…