RE: FT Taskforce and Fleet Actions

Your answer in correct only if viewed from a point on the direct line of
the
flight from the destination.

The ability to have a picket on a moon, asteroid, planet or anywhere in
space means that the plume would have to have zero emissions or be
enclosed
entirely or it will be detected.

Even if you have a linear plume (questionable as even a laser expands as
it
travels), it will interact with stuff in space. As you pointed out space
is
not empty. Your plume will interact with the free hydrogen and dust when
it
collides with it. At that point your plume will no longer be linear, it
will
at best be splintered into a linear portion and a pulsed linear
splinter.

As for reactionless drives, the chance is that if we can manipulate
something enough to push a SDN around at 4 Gs acceleration (or more),
that
we will find a way to detect it from a distance. 

-----
Brian Bell
-----

-----Original Message-----
From: Randall Joiner [mailto:rljoiner@mindspring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 05:42
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: FT Taskforce and Fleet Actions

[snip]

>     The other big reason is that space is an INCREDIBLY sensor-
>friendly environment. If the detectors and the countermeasures are at 
>the same technology level, or even close, you can't hide. Sensor 
>ranges will vastly exceed weapons ranges unless you assume an 
>incredible advance in stealth with no advance in sensors (and 
>probably break a few laws of physics while you're at it).

This is a totally different arguement, to which I STRONGLY disagree.

Space is very very very very sensor unfriendly.  Though size alone, the
problems are astronomical... (Had to use the pun!)  

As a 2 part excercise for the reader...  Part A: Given X distance from
target Y, what size linear/circular wall/plate is necessary to block
(occlude?  Damn, I need to invest in dictionaries instead of physics
books)
view of any sort of object Z (at point X) by target Y, given that the
plate
is impenatrable to view.
Hint: easy answer, assuming no angle, is: diameter of object Z.
Part B: given a "plume" that stretches length A behind object Z, what,
if
any, changes are necessary to Part A's answer.
Hint: easy answer, to follow Part A: diameter equal to the greatest
diamter
of plume. 
(for ease of math, question was stated where answers in 2D or 3D will be
accepted)

Anyway, enough for tonight.  My question still stands.