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- Path: sparky!uunet!van-bc!tradent!lord
- From: lord@tradent.wimsey.bc.ca (Jason Cooper)
- Newsgroups: sci.space
- Subject: *** BUSSARD RAMSCOOP ***
- Message-ID: <c5cewB1w165w@tradent.wimsey.bc.ca>
- Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 08:03:23 PST
- Organization: TradeNET International Trade Corp.
- Lines: 21
-
- This is just a quick repeat of a message I sent earlier this week. Can
- anybody in this group help me with the physics aspects of the Bussard
- ramscoop? For those who don't know, the ramscoop collects charged H
- (charged by it) from the interstellar material with a huge magnetic field
- (moving, at reasonably high velocities, that is), thus deflecting that
- hydrogen into the engine itself, where it is fused for thrust. I'm
- seeking assistance with the fusing itself. Can anybody here explain to
- me (in reasonably plain language, I'm in Grade 11 (though I _can_
- understand most grade 12 concepts, or perhaps better (try me))) what the
- fusion reaction produced in the sun requires (IE do I just need to
- pressure up a bunch of plain old Hydrogen?) and what the _exact_
- reactions are that occur resulting in how much energy (MeV please)
- produced? Anybody know much about the Bussard ramscoop here and just
- feel like helping me? Oh yeah, I should mention that this is for a
- science fair project, which is why I am looking for detailed descriptions
- of reactions, etc, as, firstly, I need to explain this to a judge, and
- secondly, I need to know all I can. Thank you for your time.
-
- Jason Cooper
-
- [mail replies please]
-