Non OTU: Bussard Ram Jet ships added to my Traveller ?

[Carlobrand]

I saw the fan and sailboat being debunked on Mythbusters.

But I'm going to handwavium, easier to find than unobtanium, the laser firing at the solar sail.

I just need to determine velocity gained, and how long it takes to get up to 0.1C.

Wouldn't you do better pointing the laser aft and letting its thrust augment whatever you're getting off the solar sail?

 

[epicenter00]

iirc, wasn't it also seen that classic bussard ramjet doesn't work? That the energy necessary to slow the incoming hydrogen down so it can be fused limits the maximum speed of the ship to something that's pretty slow and nowhere near C.

 

[whulorigan]

iirc, wasn't it also seen that classic bussard ramjet doesn't work? That the energy necessary to slow the incoming hydrogen down so it can be fused limits the maximum speed of the ship to something that's pretty slow and nowhere near C.

IIRC, you are correct. Also, a ship moving at near-c will encounter each and every micrometeorite or grain of dust in its path as a mini-bomb.

But those at least are engineering hurdles that we could perhaps handwaive away by saying that they were problems that somehow were eventually solved, and leave it at that. (Perhaps a long-range forward-projecting gravitic deflector of some sort).

 

[JimMarn]

Wouldn't you do better pointing the laser aft and letting its thrust augment whatever you're getting off the solar sail?

How much would it augment the solar sail ?

I know the cesium plasma engine is incredibly slow at speed, but it can get up to quite a speed over time.

 

[JimMarn]

IIRC, you are correct. Also, a ship moving at near-c will encounter each and every micrometeorite or grain of dust in its path as a mini-bomb.

But those at least are engineering hurdles that we could perhaps handwaive away by saying that they were problems that somehow were eventually solved, and leave it at that. (Perhaps a long-range forward-projecting gravitic deflector of some sort).

One sf story I read placed a large ice block, think mountain size, in front of a starship. When a pebble hit, the ice flashed nito steam and had to be replaced.

The author didn't deal with a series of small rocks hitting the ice.