The Need for Speed

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The Need for Speed

• Dr. Darrel Smith, Chair
• Space Physics
• August 27, 2005

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The Year of Physics
The Need for Speed

• 1905 -- the year of discovery
• Einsteins three papers
• Brownian Motion
• Photoelectric Effect
• Special Relativity

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• Base Units of Physics
• Mass (kilogram)
• Length (meter)
• Time (second)

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• Einsteins two postulates
• The speed of light is a constant in all inertial
  frames. C 299,792,458 m/s (186,000
  miles/sec)
• The law of physics are covariant between inertial
  frames.

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• Implications of these two postulates
• Length Length Contraction
• Time Time Dilation
• Mass Mass Dilation

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed
Length Contraction Time Dilation Mass Dilation

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed
Paradox a statement that is seemingly
contradictory or opposed to
common sense and yet is perhaps
true.
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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed

• Imagine the following
• Making the distances much longer, and
• Making the speeds faster, but the ? much higher.

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed
L0 100,000 LY
V 0.99999999995 c
Astronaut experiences L 1.00 LY ?(age)
1.00 year

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed
Can we achieve these high speeds?
In the laboratory, weve achieved v 0.999995 c

• What about "real" spacecraft propulsion systems?
• Nuclear-Thermal propulsion
• Antimatter propulsion

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Special Relativity
The Need for Speed
Can we achieve these high speeds?
In the laboratory, weve achieved v 0.999995 c

• What about "real" spacecraft propulsion systems?
• Nuclear-Thermal propulsion
• Antimatter propulsion

• ?????? ?
• At rest at c

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Space Physics
Spacecraft to Mars and back using chemical
propulsion
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Space Physics
Mars Landscape
The Mars Rover
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Space Physics
Mars Landscape
The Mars Rover
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How are we going to get to Mars?
Radiation Damage
Bone Loss
New Fuels
Long space missions with traditional chemical
propulsion systems will have devastating effects
on astronauts. Atomic, nuclear, and particle
propulsion systems must be considered to reduce
travel time.
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Space Physics
Areas of Concentration
Exotic Propulsion Systems
Fusion Engines
Plasma Engines
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Space Physics
Areas of Concentration
Exotic Propulsion Systems (contd)
Antimatter Engines
Ion-Compressed Antimatter Nuclear Engine
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
Total Mission Duration (Days with 30 days on
Surface)
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Space Physics
Areas of Concentration
Senior Labs
Penning Trap to store antimatter
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Space Physics
Areas of Concentration
On the web http//physicsx.pr.erau.edu/SpacePhy
sics/