Thursday, Nov 29, 2012, 16:00
WHGA/001
U. Walter, TU Munich
Abstract:
For interplanetary and even more for interstellar flights chemical propulsion is of no use due
to its inefficiency at high velocity transfers. For interplanetary flights ion engines with their
high efficiencies come to rescue. But still better space drives are feasible: Photon drives or
fusion ramjets. In principle they should allow us to travel as fast as the speed of light. But
what are the physical limits of these ultimate space drives? Is it reasonable to approach the
speed of light or are there obstacles, which will prevent us to reach this limiting speed?
This presentation gives an introduction into relativistic space flight. Although the relativistic
rocket equations are shown to be formally quite similar to the classic case, their application
leads to quite surprising results because space and time is dilated. For instance, our milky
way with a diameter of 100,000 light years could be crossed within 11.9 years with a reasonable
acceleration of 1g. But it will be shown that this will never happen.
Other exotic space drives such as the antimatter drive, die Bussard ramjet, pulsed nuclearfusion
drive and even wormhole and Alcubierre drives are also examined.