Nanofotonika the light sails can be accelerated to relativistic velocities
Source:One day, in the not so distant future, the light sails will race through space at the speed of about 20% of light (or 60 000 km/s), not push the fuel, and the pressure of the radiation of powerful lasers on Earth. Moving from these relativistic velocities, the light sails on the lasers could reach the nearest neighboring star (to the Sun) is alpha Centauri, or the nearest potentially habitable planet of Proxima Centauri b, in just 20 years. Both sites are more than four light years from us.
However, the design of the light sails — a complex engineering task that requires the almost impossible: the perfect light sail shall have a width of several meters and be mechanically strong enough to withstand the intense pressure of radiation, however, its thickness should be 100 nm and a weight of few grams.
theWhat is a light sail and what is the complexity of its creation
Other requirements depend on the working mechanisms of these very light sails. According to Maxwell's equations, light has momentum and can exert pressure on objects. But the light sails not just pushed by the pressure of radiation as an ordinary sail is by the wind force. Instead, the pressure of being born because of the light sail reflects the light. Therefore, the optimal sail should reflect most of the radiation in the laser beam of the near infrared spectrum and at the same time to emit in the middle infrared spectrum for efficient cooling.
In the new study, published in Nano Letters, scientists, Covering Ilic, core Vent, and Harry Atwater from the California Institute of technology in Pasadena showed that nanophotonic structure may have the potential to meet stringent requirements of the material from which to make sail, capable of traveling at near-light speeds.
While the previous constructions were used such materials like superfine aluminum, various polymers, and carbon fiber, nanophotonic structures can manipulate light at the subwavelength scale, and thus solve the problem of the effective repulsion (repel) and distribution of heat (radiation). As an example, scientists have shown a two-layer sandwich of silicon and silicon dioxide, which possess the desired properties. Silicon has a high index of reflection — resulting in efficient movement, but it is bad cools, the silica cools well, but worse reflects.
In the future this concept can be used to minimize the power limitations of the laser and size of the laser array.
Ready to stand up under such a sail? Tell us in our
Recommended
The Americans on the moon: what everyone should know?
the Upcoming cosmonautics day is my favorite holiday. It marks the triumph of the human mind: in just four thousand years Homo Sapiens went from hunter-gatherers to space explorers. 12 April 1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in ...
Why are some galaxies spiral shaped?
you Know what surprised me the most? The fact that we perceive the surrounding world as it is. Animals, plants, the laws of physics and the cosmos are perceived by many people as something so mundane and boring that they invent fairies, ghosts, monst...
Astronomers were able to see the death of another star system
In the cosmic ocean drifts a lot of mysteries about the existence of which we are unaware. One of these was uncovered five years ago, when astronomers have discovered a lonely star at a distance of 570 light years from Earth, the brightness of which ...
Related News
USA want to mine minerals in space
a Number of useful resources on our planet, unfortunately, limited. And sooner or later they will end. Already, some of them get more difficult than, say, 150-200 years ago. So why not look into space? recently it became known th...
Space telescope "Kepler" refuses to die
Not wishing to leave that kind of space telescope "Kepler" continues to gather scientific data, despite the faulty engine and the extremely low fuel level. We have this space telescope for $ 600 million, but yesterday, NASA surpri...
Jupiter's magnetic field was more complicated than anticipated
it is Known that the diameter of Jupiter is 11 times Earth's diameter, and a magnetic field stronger than the earth 20,000 times. The spacecraft "Juno", orbit the gas giant in 2016, unveiled his new features. Scientists from the...
NASA tested the performance of the communication system of the telescope "James Webb"
Since the launch of the Hubble telescope it has been 28 years, so the completion of his mission, scheduled for 30 June 2021. NASA has already prepared a replacement for a few months before the end of his work will be the launch of...
In water and alcohol: in Russia, has developed a new engine for nanosatellites
Developers of a prototype propulsion system in a mixture of distilled water and ethyl alcohol are the engineers of the Samara University. The choice of such a working body of the Russian University scientists explain that water ha...
Diversion or a mistake? Media said, where in the spacecraft "Soyuz" was a hole
Recall that the leakage of oxygen on the Russian segment of the International space station was discovered by astronauts on August 30. The Russian crew noted a decrease in the pressure. After some time was discovered and the cause...
Japan will conduct the first test of the concept of the space Elevator
a Team of Japanese scientists from the University of Shizuoka and other organizations is going to conduct the first experiment with the idea of developing a "space Elevator" — the device is able in theory to connect the Eart...
The largest dust storm on Mars ended. Will there be "opportunity"?
Almost three months on Mars has raged one of the largest dust storms, but now ended, and NASA engineers hope that the Rover opportunity will soon come back to life. The storm was first observed on may 30, and last 15 years of the ...
Resin, which closed up hole on the ISS, was quite
Restoration work, which the astronauts conducted aboard the International space station for the last two days, was completed. Ground control discovered a small pressure drop on Board the "Soyuz", docked to the station, on the nigh...
Dirty story NASA: how astronauts Agency 57 years had to suffer when going to the toilet
the Astronauts are obviously very brave, intelligent and accomplished people, but they are all the same people, not supermen. Therefore, even while in space, they, like any other person is necessary from time to time to go "small"...
Dirty story NASA: how astronauts Agency 57 years had tormented when going to the toilet
the Astronauts are obviously very brave, intelligent and accomplished people, but they are all the same people, not supermen. Therefore, even while in space, they, like any other person is necessary from time to time to go "small"...
Aboard the ISS discovered the breach. The astronauts are trying to fix a leak
last night in the living compartment of the ship "Soyuz MS-09", docked to the International space station, was discovered the breach. The air pressure had dropped slightly so there was not worry. Most likely leak on Board the "Uni...
Space probe "New horizons" received the first picture of my new goals
Despite the fact that the device is at a distance of more than 160 million kilometers from its target dwarf planet Ultima Thule (2014 MU69) with a diameter of 15-20 kilometers, the interplanetary automatic station "" provided the ...
For the first time in 50 years potential NASA astronaut refused training
an Unprecedented event for the first time since 1968 occurred with aerospace Agency NASA. One of the potential astronauts were selected for training for space flight, for the first time in 50 years refused to learning and leave th...
In connection with the growing interest in space exploration leading aerospace Agency regularly recruiting new astronauts in its ranks. And recently it became known that the domestic Corporation "Roscosmos" will join the ranks of ...
Mining water on the moon will give us the space. Don't believe?
Moon miners especially were jubilant this week when scientists announced they found strong evidence of the existence of water ice on the moon's surface. There is much more ice than we thought, and now we know exactly where he is. ...
Until 2024 the United States will send astronauts to orbit the moon
Speaking Thursday at the Space center Johnson in Houston Vice-President Michael Penny announced that the U.S. government expects to send up to the end of 2024 astronauts to the planned lunar orbital station with the aim of establi...
NASA creates space GPS navigation based on artificial intelligence
In the modern world if you are lost or just can't find the right direction to a desired place in a new city, you open Yandex.Maps, Google Maps or any other mapping application based on GPS and by following a few tips find the righ...
A new app from NASA will make selfi on the background of deep space
the Notorious program for photo editing free from Adobe allows you to do with your the anything. And in the hands of a professional environment will be indistinguishable from the present. It is one thing to enjoy the beauty after ...
Company Stratolaunch in addition to the very large aircraft will create three rocket and spaceplane
the Company Stratolaunch announced plans to develop a series of space rockets, the launch of which will be carried out by special carrier aircraft. The design includes three rockets and a reusable spaceplane that will be used to d...
Comments (0)
This article has no comment, be the first!