The Physics of Interstellar Travel
Cambridge University Press (Verlag)
978-1-009-68932-8 (ISBN)
- Noch nicht erschienen (ca. Juli 2026)
- Versandkostenfrei
- Auch auf Rechnung
- Artikel merken
What is the physics behind getting a spacecraft to the nearest stars? What science can it do when it gets there? How can it send back data over enormous distances? Drawing on established physics, Coryn Bailer-Jones explores the various challenges of getting an uncrewed spacecraft to a nearby star within a human lifetime. In addition to propulsion methods such as nuclear rockets and laser sails, this book examines critical issues such as navigation, communication, and the interstellar medium. Starting from fundamental concepts, readers will learn how a broad spectrum of physics – ranging from relativity to optics, and thermodynamics to astronomy – can be applied to address this demanding problem. Assuming some familiarity with basic physics, this volume is a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to interstellar travel, and an indispensable guide for studying the literature on deep space exploration. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.
Coryn A. L. Bailer-Jones is a staff member at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg where he does research on stellar and Galactic astrophysics. He teaches physics at Heidelberg University and in 2017 published the textbook Practical Bayesian Inference. For many years he played a leading role in the European Space Agency's space astrometry mission, Gaia.
1. Introduction; 2. Why travel to the stars?; 3. Rockets; 4. Orbital mechanics; 5. Thermal rockets; 6. Ion engines; 7. Relativistic motion; 8. Nuclear rockets; 9. Relativistic optical effects; 10. Solar sails; 11. Laser sails; 12. Interstellar medium; 13. Magnetic and electric sails; 14. Navigation; 15. Communication; 16. Payloads; 17. Outlook; Further reading; Bibliography; Index.
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 31.7.2026 |
|---|---|
| Zusatzinfo | Worked examples or Exercises |
| Verlagsort | Cambridge |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Angewandte Physik |
| Technik ► Fahrzeugbau / Schiffbau | |
| Technik ► Luft- / Raumfahrttechnik | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-009-68932-0 / 1009689320 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-009-68932-8 / 9781009689328 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
aus dem Bereich