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Register a new userFlying on a Rainbow: A Solar-Driven Diffractive Sailcraft
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Added by
Grover Swartzlander Jr.
Publication date
2018
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
Authors
Grover A. Swartzlander Jr
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Radiation pressure afforded by natural broadband sunlight upon a transmissive diffractive sail is theoretically and numerically investigated. A grating period of one micrometer is found to convert 83% of the solar black body spectrum into sailcraft momentum. Non-optimized orbit-raising trajectories for diffractive and reflective sails are compared. Potential advantages of diffractive sails are also described.
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