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