Is anyone familiar with the voyager program instituted at JPL in the early 60's? This is where some brilliant German scientists figured out a way to "tour" the galaxy by utilizing the gravitational attraction of the planets along the tour to both steer and propel the Voyager spacecraft along its journey. Well, isn't gravity and gravitational pull or attraction very much like magnetic attraction? I remember something one of my physics proffesors did. He rolled a steel ball/sphere along on a path that took it near a magnet and, of course, the magnet altered the direction of the traveling sphere. From what I have read, in the voyager program, the calculations were intense because they not only had to know all of the orbits of the planets and positions, but exactly where they would be when the voyager reached them, one by one. What I am leading up to is this: would it be possible to construct a "table" or very accurate flat/level surface and place magnets in a very precise way to allow a rolling sphere to "tour" the magnets as voyager did, and is doing, in space? I know there is no friction in space but traveling bodies still behave in much the same manner as here on earth as they still have mass. If Voyager could accelerate from "slingshotting" around the planet's gravitational fields, then maybe, with correct placement, a sphere could go from one magnet to another, slig around it, to another, and so on. It would take energy for the initial push, just like with Voyager, but does anyone think this is possible? Has anyone tried this? I think, in theory, that once started, a sphere could "tour" around in a never ending pattern. This is either a brilliant question, or one the the dumbest ever asked on here, you decide. Thanks
Bill
In retrospect, I probably should have put a better title on this question or topic. I could not think of one short enough.
Bill
G'day Bill and all,
The reason this slingshot effect works because gravity is unidirectional whereas magnetism is not. What works with gravity does not work here with magnetism, unless someone comes up with a homopolar magnet, though that has never been done and is perhaps not possible
Hans von Lieven.
Hans:
Thanks for the reply. Gravity is unidirectional? I was under the impression that gravitional waves, or particles, were radial accelerations directed toward the center of mass, in this case, the center of mass of a planet. I apoligize if I am not correct on this point. If I have learned one thing it is that a lot of what I learned in school, including college, was not correct. If you don't mind, what is the definition of a "homopolar" magnet? I am still reading the material on your site. what you are working on is incredible. I am sure you are aware of the latest announcement of a Dr. that, while searching for a cancer cure, discovered that he could split water on demand into H and O2 using radio frequency? After reading your materials the key word I saw here was frequency. Of course, his method would have high power demands for the transmitters which is why I find your efforts very interesting. Thanks.
Bill
Hans:
You must excuse me for my ignorance. I just realized that radial waves/particles are omni-directional. What was I thinking? I need to get a cold beer and think about this some more. Thanks.
Bill
Quote from: Pirate88179 on September 23, 2007, 08:22:17 PM
Hans:
Thanks for the reply. Gravity is unidirectional? I was under the impression that gravitional waves, or particles, were radial accelerations directed toward the center of mass, in this case, the center of mass of a planet.
Bill
Exactly, it "flows" towards the centre of the mass, that is what I meant with unidirectional.
A homopolar magnet, as far as I understand the concept, is a magnet that has only one pole, either N or S. In other words a unidirectional flow of magnetic flux.
Hans
Hi Pirate,
Quote from: Pirate88179 on September 23, 2007, 07:23:12 PM
If Voyager could accelerate from "slingshotting" around the planet's gravitational fields, then maybe, with correct placement, a sphere could go from one magnet to another, slig around it, to another, and so on. It would take energy for the initial push, just like with Voyager, but does anyone think this is possible?
What Voyager does in slingshotting around planets, you could certainly do using an iron sphere and magnets (sorry Hans), but it wouldn't be very productive. The reason it's so productive for Voyager is that the planets are all in motion relative to one another.
If you went from earth to mars, for example, even if you didn't accelerate very much, you would be going very fast relative to mars when you got there, because your velocity would be much the same as the earth's was when you left. You could then use the martian gravity to change your course, slingshotting yourself away from mars in any direction at _same_ relative speed.
Local observers on every planet you visit would see you arrive and leave at the same speed. An observer looking down on the whole solar system, however, would see you gain speed whenever your exit direction was more in line with the motion of the planet than your entry was. That happens pretty much whenever you go around the trailing side of a planet instead of the leading side, so there's a fair bit of flexibility in how you can plot a slighshotting course around the solar system.
Cheers,
Mr. Entropy
Mr. Entrophy:
Thank you for your reply. Wow, this sounds a lot like one of Einstein's reletivity theories, you know, position of the observer and all. I had never considered this in my reasoning. So, these Germans that come up with the Voyager plan were even more brilliant that I thought. I can't even imagine the calculations required to make such a journey possible...but they did it, and with such precision. I was just thinking as we all do. But, I see what you are saying and, alas, I have to agree. Thanks again.
Bill
Hans:
Also, that you for the reply and the explanation.
Bill
G'day Bill and all,
Have a look at this. This guy is trying to use a slingshot effect applied to magnets. In this pendulum experiment it is clearly visible that the magnetic field moves the pendulum far past its normal swing, unfortunately then opposing forces take over and negate the effect.
http://student.ccbcmd.edu/%7Enorman/pendulumtonoon.mpg
Hans von Lieven
Quote from: Pirate88179 on September 23, 2007, 07:23:12 PM
...What I am leading up to is this: would it be possible to construct a "table" or very accurate flat/level surface and place magnets in a very precise way to allow a rolling sphere to "tour" the magnets as voyager did...
Pioneer is accelarated by the gravitation of the planets due to their motion. The energy is taken from the kinetic energy of planets. When a Pioneer is accelarated, a planet is slowed but as the mass of planets is much more than that of the Pioneer, planets slowing is negligeable. Gravitation is just acting as a vector for the energy transmission.
With a static configuration of permanent magnets, this could not occur. And if we used mobile magnets to mimic planets, then we would have to put energy for moving the magnets and compensate energy used by the sphere to accelerate and move.
Fran?ois