3 ms·
The big untouched mystery is how these things collimate the beam so exactly. In order for all the mass to end up going in exactly one direction, so focused, so
by moloch-hai 4y ago
The big untouched mystery is how these things collimate the beam so exactly.
In order for all the mass to end up going in exactly one direction, so focused, something would have to get them started off that way. Any sort of thermal phenomenon would need a parabolic reflector/nozzle.
Currently favored is some sort of electromagnetic process that works like a particle accelerator, applying a linear electric field to highly-ionized nuclei over thousands or millions of km.
The "geysers" coming out of Enceladus would likewise need parabolic nozzles to stay collimated, so must be similarly electromagnetic. Unfortunately the notion was first promoted by reviled "electric universe" enthusiasts, so astrophysicists need to file the serial numbers off before they can acknowledge it.
- blackboxlogic 4y agoCould gravitational forces between particles in a beam tighten a beam as it travels?
- moloch-hai 4y agoYes. Curiously, this would work even for a sufficiently intense beam of light. It is called "self-focusing", and has been proposed for use in an interstellar transport network. Your vehicles would need not to be ripped apart to individual nucleons by the intensity of the beam.