True.
One of the GT authors asked Marc Miller about it. MM stated that intervening jump limits along the route did indeed interrupt jumps and that that's the way he'd intended it all along.
Cool. Where did you read that?
True.
One of the GT authors asked Marc Miller about it. MM stated that intervening jump limits along the route did indeed interrupt jumps and that that's the way he'd intended it all along.
Chris Thrash (the author in question) wrote about it several times, either here or on the SJG boards or both, I forget which.Cool. Where did you read that?
Chris Thrash (the author in question) wrote about it several times, either here or on the SJG boards or both, I forget which.
Hans
No, Chris wrote about a conversation he had had with Marc. What's your point?Oh, Marc didn't write it.
No, Chris wrote about a conversation he had had with Marc. What's your point?
Hans
The central secret of interstellar travel is the concept of jump space. Without this method of travelling around intervening space, interstellar travellers would be restricted by the universal speed limit of 300,000 kilometers per second; the stars would be beyond the reach of most intelligent species, and even the limited travel that did take place would be slow, and relatively unprofitable.
[snip]
The basic concept of jump space is that of an alternate space. Theoretically, jump spaces are alternate universes, each only dimly understood from the standpoint of our own universe.
[snip]
Entering jump is possible anywhere, but the perturbing effects of gravity make it impractical to begin a jump within a gravity field of more than certain specific limits based on size, density, and distance. The general rule of thumb is a distance of at least 100 diameters out from a world or star (including a safety margin), and ships generally move away from worlds and stars before beginning a jump. The perturbing effects of gravity preclude a ship from exiting jump space within the same distance. When ships are directed to exit jump space within a gravity field, they are precipitated out of jump space at the edge of the field instead.
- Marc Miller, JTAS #24, 1981
A Dyson sphere doesn't have a significant gravity well. That's the point.
Apparently I didn't get my intention/question across correctly. Sorry 'bout that...
No matter how high the tech of those inside a Dyson sphere, the gravity of the enclosed star will/should still affect orbits of other nearby stars, correct? Even if the star isn't visible, it's gravity effects will still be detectable by its effects on other systems. Thus the star should still be detectable by civilizations in systems nearby, correct? (Assuming their technologies are advanced enough, of course.)
Then there are always neutrinos...
It would show up as an IR source with the same total output as the star. Unless it somehow sinks heat into J-space.
It would show up as an IR source with the same total output as the star. Unless it somehow sinks heat into J-space.
IANAP (I am not a physicist) but surely the whole point of a Dyson sphere is to encapsulate and trap the energy coming from the star?
So, that dyson sphere, given that the energy is that of a star, must radiate off as much as it recieves; much of it is used for work, but all work eventually results in heat, and that heat still has to go away or contribute to meltdown.
OK, I ken that (though you're living hazardously in 21st Century thinking
So - anyone fancy describing how they would present a Dyson sphere?
I'm inclined to present it as a large "cool" body where "cool" is nowhere near the temperature of a "cool star". A body that blots out the stars.
It will radiate the same total energy. It has to. It' basic physics... as in conservation of energy.
It will not have the same energy density... it will turn it all into low energy IR. But it WILL radiate it all, given enough time.
IR, however, is readily detectable...
It might also concentrate all that IR waste heat into a single (or multiple) vent/radiator. So instead of a large surface equalized IR source you'd see a single (or multiple) smaller, hotter point(s) IR source. And I think with a little clever design and practice that IR source (if single) could be masked and directed such that it would be undetectable except from a certain part of the sky. Perhaps one that no one has visited... until the PC's misjump into a specific hex![]()
...then there is that need to keep the temp down to something that the radiator itself doesn't melt...