4 ms·
I wonder why they're using Molybdenum instead of just lead. All of the thrust comes from throwing atoms out of the thruster, so, throwing something denser makes
by jtriangle 3y ago
I wonder why they're using Molybdenum instead of just lead. All of the thrust comes from throwing atoms out of the thruster, so, throwing something denser makes sense in my mind... surely there's a reason?
- kelnos 3y agoMaybe it's harder to strip atoms from a lead cathode, and/or harder to strip one of its electrons?
- dexwiz 3y agoDensity doesn’t mean anything at the ion level. Yes, lead has a higher atomic mass, but at the end of the day it’s about momentum and energy. If they can shoot a Mo2+ out twice as fast as Pb2+, it’s about them same.
- codethief 3y ago> If they can shoot a Mo2+ out twice as fast as Pb2+, it’s about them same. Is it? Twice the velocity (v) but ~half the mass (m) might give you the same momentum, but it requires twice the energy: E = ½(m/2) * (2v)² = 2 × ½mv².
- p1mrx 3y agoMaybe it's worth spending energy to save mass, because energy is delivered by the sun, whereas mass has to be launched. There's probably a thrust vs. delta-v tradeoff for different elements.
- imoverclocked 3y agoLead is hazardous which is something the marketing material explicitly avoids.