Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T20:48:42.329Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Solar Wind Power Satellite as an alternative to a traditional Dyson Sphere and its implications for remote detection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Brooks L. Harrop  and
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Brooks L. Harrop
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164, USA e-mail: harrop_b@hotmail.com
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA99164, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The search for Dyson Spheres has been propelled not only by the hope of discovering intelligent alien life, but by humanity's ever-increasing need for energy. However, the Dyson Sphere is not a practical design, requiring too much matter to build and too much energy to stabilize. Here we discuss the various designs of a Dyson Sphere and propose the Solar Wind Power (SWP) Satellite, a simplistic, self-sustaining system that draws power from the solar wind and uses a laser to fire energy to collectors (on space stations, bases, etc.) positioned anywhere in the Solar System. While a small SWP Satellite can provide an estimated 2 MW of power, larger (or networks of) satellites could provide terawatts of power or more. The cost of the SWP Satellite would be relatively cheap – it primarily consists of shaped copper, with only a few complex systems onboard. Detection of such a satellite would be difficult using current technology, because at this time we can only detect solar wind deviations of up to 10−13 MS yr−1, while a 2 MW satellite would only divert 10−34 MS yr−1. Thus, only very large SWP Satellites could possibly be detected.

Keywords

astro-engineeringDyson SpherelaserpowersatelliteSearch for Extraterrestrial Intelligencesolar wind
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 89 - 99
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashcroft, N.W. & Mermin, N.D. (1976). The Solid State Physics. Thomson Learning, Inc., London.Google Scholar
Badescu, V. (1995). Acta Astronaut. 36, 135–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badescu, V. & Cathcart, R.B. (2000). J. Br. Interplanetary Soc. 53, 297–306.Google Scholar
Cochran, J.F. & Mapother, D.E. (1958). Phys. Rev. 111, 132–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, J. & Stewart, I. (2001). Where are the dolphins? Science 409, 1119–1122.Google ScholarPubMed
DOE. (2006). World Consumption of Primary Energy by Energy Type and Selected Country Groups, 1980–2004 (XLS). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 31 July 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2009 from http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/international/iealf/table18.xls.Google Scholar
Dyson, F.J. (1960). Science 131, 1667–1668.Google Scholar
Encrenaz, T., Bibring, J.P. & Blanc, M. (2003). The Solar System. Springer, Berlin.Google Scholar
Feldman, U., Landi, E. & Schwadron, N.A. (2005). J. Geophys. Res. 110, A07109.1–A07109.12, doi:10.1029/2004JA010918.Google Scholar
Griffiths, D. (1999). Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd edn.Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.Google Scholar
Juhasz, A.J. (2000). An analysis and procedure for determining space environmental sink temperatures with selected computational results. In Proc. Energy Conversion Engineering Conf. and Exhibit, Las Vegas, 24 July 2000, IECEC.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kallenrode, M. (2004). Space Physics: An Introduction to Plasmas and Particles in the Heliosphere. Springer, Berlin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruijff, M. (2000). The Peaks of Eternal Light on the Lunar South Pole: how they were found and what they look like. In Proc. 4th International Conf. on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon (ICEUM4), ESA/ESTEC, SP-462, September 2000.Google Scholar
Lallement, R., Quemerais, E., Bertaux, J.L., Ferron, S., Koutroump, D. & Pellinen, R. (2005). Science 307, 1447–1449.Google Scholar
Linde, T.J., Gombosi, T.I., Roe, P.L., Powell, K.G. & DeZeeuw, D.L. (1998). J. Geophys. Res. 103(A2), 1889–1904.Google Scholar
Maksimovic, M. et al. (2005). J. Geophys. Res. 110, A09104.1–A09104.9, doi:10.1029/2005JA011119.Google Scholar
Meyer-Vernet, N. (2007). Basics of the Solar Wind. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niven, L. (1974). ‘Bigger than worlds’. A Hole in Space. Ballantine/Random House, New York.Google Scholar
Phillips, K.J.H. (1995). Guide to the Sun. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.Google Scholar
Ruffolo, D., Matthaeus, W.H. & Chuychai, P. (2003). Astrophys. J. 597, L169–L172.Google Scholar
Sagan, C.F. (1973). The Cosmic Connection; An Extraterrestrial Perspective. Doubleday, Garden City, NY.Google Scholar
Sandberg, A. (2009). Dyson Sphere FAQ. Retrieved on 10 October 2009 from http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/dysonFAQ.html.Google Scholar
Schwenn, R. & Marsch, E. (1991). Physics of the Inner Heliosphere II. Particles, Waves, and Turbulence. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.Google Scholar
Tipler, P.A. (1999). Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4th edn.W.H. Freeman, New York.Google Scholar
Tough, A. (2000). How to achieve contact: five promising ways. When SETI Succeeds: The Impact of High-information Contact. Foundation for the Future; Bellevue, WA.Google Scholar
Wargelin, B.J. & Drake, J.J. (2002). Astrophys. J. 578, 503–514.Google Scholar
Yariv, A. (1989). Quantum Electronics, 3rd edn.Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.Google Scholar
Zubrin, R. (1999). Entering Space – Creating a Spacefaring Civilization. Tarcher/Putnam, New York.Google Scholar