Re: Real Life Thrust (was: hyperspace)

In message <Pine.ULT.3.91.960828164053.21981B-100000@essex.UCHSC.edu>
you wrote:

> 
> 
> You could always try the ram-scoop method - giant magnetic fields that

> sweep matter into your ship.	The faster you go, the more matter you
can 
> scoop up.  Interstellar space may not be particularly thick, but if 
> you're going a significant fraction of light and have ram scoops a
couple 
> of kilometers wide you should be able to pick up a bunch of matter, 
> mostly hydrogen.

Such a shame that the Bussard ram drive acts as such a good brake!
Ignoring the friction caused by them, you'd still need scoop
diameters in the tens of thousands of kilometres for them to be
effective.

You could get around it by 'seeding' the space ahead of the ship with
dense packets of hydrogen (or similar fuel). Of course, you'd need to
know _exactly_ which course your ship is going to be taking probably
several years in advance for this to be effective.

-- 
Be seeing you,
Sam.