High-Speed Magnetic-Sail Interstellar Precursor Missions Enabled by Metastable Metallic Hydrogen
- Paper number
IAC-17,D4,4,3,x41020
- Author
Mr. Adam Crowl, Initiative for Interstellar Studies, Australia
- Year
2017
- Abstract
The recent observation of metallic hydrogen in high-pressure diamond anvil experiments raises the prospect of superconducting metastable metallic hydrogen. With a critical temperature close to near Earth orbit temperatures (~300-400 K), superconducting metallic hydrogen, developed in bulk amounts would simplify the production and launching of magnetic-sail propelled interstellar precursor missions. At cruising speeds of 300-600 km/s these would propel high-speed missions to the Sun's gravitational focus at ~750 AU and to the hypothesised Ninth Planet at ~1000 AU. A magnetic-sail might also act as a brake against the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM), enabling orbital missions to the Ninth Planet.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-17,D4,4,3,x41020.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.