Related papers: Wind--Pellet Shear Sailing
We compare the stellar wind torque calculated in a previous work (Paper II) to the spin-up and spin-down torques expected to arise from the magnetic interaction between a slowly rotating ($\sim 10$% of breakup) pre-main-sequence star and…
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,…
We have investigated how the degree of imbalance in solar wind turbulence is modified by large-scale velocity shears in the solar wind plasma. The balance between counterpropagating Alfv\'enic fluctuations, which interact nonlinearly to…
The problem of simulating the interaction of spacecraft travelling at velocities necessary for starflight with the interplanetary and interstellar medium is considered. Interaction of protons, atoms, and ions at kinetic energies relative to…
The origin of fuel cell technology has a notable connection to the history of spaceflight, having been used in remarkable programs such as Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle. With the constant growth of the electric propulsion technology…
The solar photon pressure provides a viable source of thrust for spacecraft in the solar system. Theoretically it could also enable interstellar missions, but an extremely small mass per cross section area is required to overcome the solar…
Aerodynamic entrainment acts as the pioneer of saltation movement and is critical for understanding the development of aeolian phenomena. Here we performed direct numerical simulations on the aerodynamic lifting of surface particles on a…
Protostellar jets and winds are probably driven magnetocentrifugally from the surface of accretion disks close to the central stellar objects. The exact launching conditions on the disk, such as the distributions of magnetic flux and mass…
Solar wind stream interaction regions (SIRs) are often characterized by energetic ion enhancements. The mechanisms accelerating these particles, as well as the locations where the acceleration occurs, remain debated. Here, we report the…
Solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with shocks driven by fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) or shocks developed by corotating interaction regions (CIRs) often extend to high energies, and are thus key elements of space weather. The…
Aims: We develop a method for estimating the properties of stellar winds for low-mass main-sequence stars between masses of 0.4 and 1.1 solar masses at a range of distances from the star. Methods: We use 1D thermal pressure driven…
A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space…
A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space…
The Earth's magnetosphere is formed as a consequence of interaction between the planet's magnetic field and the solar wind, a continuous plasma stream from the Sun. A number of different solar wind phenomena have been studied over the past…
The Voyager spacecraft is now approaching the edge of the solar system. Near the boundary between the solar system and the interstellar medium we find that an unstable ``jet-sheet'' forms. The jet-sheet oscillates up and down due to a…
The Breakthrough Initiatives Project Starshot proposes to send a gram-scale laser driven spacecraft to the Alpha Centauri system in a 20 year mission travelling at v=0.2c. One of the challenges of this mission as the spacecraft moves…
Reliably predicting the geomorphology and climate of planetary bodies requires knowledge of the dynamic threshold wind shear velocity below which saltation transport ceases. Here we measure this threshold in a wind tunnel for four…
An accurate assessment of the Sun's angular momentum (AM) loss rate is an independent constraint for models that describe the rotation evolution of Sun-like stars. In-situ measurements of the solar wind taken by Parker Solar Probe (PSP), at…
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…
At a distance of about 4.22 lightyears, it would take about 100,000 years for humans to visit our closest stellar neighbor Proxima Centauri using modern chemical thrusters. New technologies are now being developed that involve high-power…