Redshift rocket
Encyclopedia
The redshift rocket, envisaged by novelist Karl Schroeder
, is a fictional method of spacecraft propulsion
.
It is a variant on the Sänger antimatter rocket
. One of the key difficulties of harnessing the energy from matter/antimatter collisions is that most of the energy released by them is in the X-ray
and gamma ray
spectrum. The redshift rocket proposes to use particle beam
s, such as those produced by ultrafast laser
pulses. Both the matter and antimatter would be accelerated to near light speed away from the spacecraft before colliding in the reaction chamber. This would lead to the radiation that reaches the spacecraft being redshift
ed. If the speed of the particle beams is great enough, the radiation that hits the spacecraft will be of a frequency that can be reflected. Energy absorbed by the spacecraft could be used to help power the particle beams.
But as a result only a very small fraction of the matter/antimatter annihilation reaction would contribute to the propulsion and the main source of thrust would be the particle beams themselves, which must be generated by other means.
Karl Schroeder
Karl Schroeder is an award-winning Canadian science fiction author. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality and interstellar travel, and have a deeply philosophical streak...
, is a fictional method of spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion
Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the...
.
It is a variant on the Sänger antimatter rocket
Antimatter rocket
An antimatter rocket is a proposed class of rockets that use antimatter as their power source. There are several designs that attempt to accomplish this goal...
. One of the key difficulties of harnessing the energy from matter/antimatter collisions is that most of the energy released by them is in the X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
and gamma ray
Gamma ray
Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
spectrum. The redshift rocket proposes to use particle beam
Particle beam
A particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing ....
s, such as those produced by ultrafast laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
pulses. Both the matter and antimatter would be accelerated to near light speed away from the spacecraft before colliding in the reaction chamber. This would lead to the radiation that reaches the spacecraft being redshift
Redshift
In physics , redshift happens when light seen coming from an object is proportionally increased in wavelength, or shifted to the red end of the spectrum...
ed. If the speed of the particle beams is great enough, the radiation that hits the spacecraft will be of a frequency that can be reflected. Energy absorbed by the spacecraft could be used to help power the particle beams.
But as a result only a very small fraction of the matter/antimatter annihilation reaction would contribute to the propulsion and the main source of thrust would be the particle beams themselves, which must be generated by other means.