The Borderlands of Science by Charles Sheffield

Author:Charles Sheffield [Sheffield, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Short Stories, Fiction, Science, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Social Aspects, Philosophy
ISBN: 0671319531
Google: 13PWAAAAMAAJ
Amazon: 0671578367
Publisher: Baen
Published: 1999-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

8.5 Ion rockets are similar in a sense to mass drivers, in that the reaction mass is accelerated electromagnetically, and then expelled. In this case, however, the reaction mass consists of charged atoms or molecules, and the acceleration is provided by an electric field. The technique is the same as that used in the linear accelerators employed in particle physics work here on Earth. Very large linear accelerators, miles in length, have already been built; for example, the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) has an acceleration chamber two miles long.

SLAC is powered using conventional electric supplies. For use in space, the power supply for ion rockets can be solar or nuclear (or externally provided; see the discussion of laser power later in this chapter). As was the case with mass drivers, provision of that power supply must diminish system performance.

Prototype ion rockets have been flown in space. They offer a drive that can be operated for long periods of time, and thus they are attractive for long missions. Practical tests suggest that they can produce an EJV of up to 70 kms/second, far higher than the EJV of either chemical rockets or mass drivers. However, because the onboard equipment to produce the ion beam is bulky, these are low-thrust devices providing accelerations of a few micro-gees. In order to achieve final velocities of many kilometers per second, ion rockets must be operated for long periods of time. They are not launch devices.

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