SETIsail: A space mission to 550 AU to exploit the gravitational lens of the Sun for SETI and astrophysics

Details SETIsail: A space mission to 550 AU to exploit the gravitational lens of the Sun for SETI and astrophysics SETIsail: A space mission to 550 AU to exploit the gravitational lens of the Sun for SETI and astrophysics

Jan 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994jbis...47....3m&link_type=abstract

British Interplanetary Society, Journal (ISSN 0007-094X), vol. 47, no. 1, p. 3-4

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

1

Gravitational Lenses, Project Seti, Solar Sails, Sun, Antennas, Celestial Bodies, Launching

Scientific paper

Near-term solar sail technology can project small payloads from the solar system into interstellar space. A sailing mission is proposed whereby a 5-10 kg payload attached to a current technology solar sail is flown on a trajectory to 550 Astronomical Units (AU) from the Sun within a human lifetime. This 550-AU minimum distance arises from predictions of general relativity that electromagnetic (em) radiation from very distant objects behind the Sun will be greatly amplified by the Sun's gravitational lens effect. This amounts to bending the trajectory of em waves grazing the Sun's surface to a common focal line from 550 AU to infinity. Due to this effect, the payload of SETIsail could magnify artificial or natural em signals by 108 or more (10's of decibels). The received magnified signals would be transmitted directly from SETIsail to Earth. On the traditional SETI frequency of the hydrogen 21-cm line, the total amplification for a 110-m diameter paraboloidal SETIsail is 118 dB. Varying the probe's departure trajectory for the solar system allows great latitude in the selection of candidate SETI transmission sites and astrophysical objects of interest. Partially-sheathed superconducting rings would allow for some trajectory control. In combination with solar sailing, judicious use of planetary gravity assists can be used to achieve high hyperbolic excess velocities.

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