3 ms·
Unfortunately, the first step of mass spec is to ionize the sample. And the process you're suggesting wouldn't work so well for composite matter like, say, chun
by mr_overalls 11y ago
Unfortunately, the first step of mass spec is to ionize the sample. And the process you're suggesting wouldn't work so well for composite matter like, say, chunks of space rock. And I'm afraid some rather large energy inputs would be needed to convert space debris into plasma.
- JulianMorrison 11y agoFree electron laser powered by a solar array. Matter gets dug up and pulverized small by asteroid surface robots, squirted out as a dust stream, laser heated to plasma, charged by beaming electrons towards the catch-buckets. It flies through a large magnet (which keeps its position with ion thrusters), then coasts through vacuum, spreading out according to atomic content, falling into catch buckets and getting its charge neutralized.
- mr_overalls 11y agoWell, you're not short on ideas.
- Hockenbrizzle 11y agoJust visited European XFEL a few weeks ago. The linear accelerator was about 2km long and I believe the total cost of the laser is over 1 billion Euro, but nevertheless this is an awesome idea :)
- JulianMorrison 11y agoShould be cheaper to build both of those sorts of things when the "making a vacuum" bit is already taken care of, and large amounts of space are available at no cost.