Using Io's flux tube as energy source?
Sun, 2010-08-01 09:45
From Eclipse Phase :
"For all that, transhumanity’s worst peril on Io is
radiation. Ejecta from geysers and volcanoes flow
with Jupiter’s magnetic eld to form a titanic, toroidal
flux tube that rotates with Io around the gas giant."
So-how plausible would be an effort to using the Io's tube as source energy. Does anyone have any information if such concept has been theoritically studied?
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Mankind must shed its meat chrysalis and become our true selves. We will take wing and leave for unguessable spheres
Thu, 2010-08-12 04:16
#2
Re: Using Io's flux tube as energy source?
root@Piccolo.Muse
"I think I'll argue with Jovian command to get capital control of that. With the Mass Driver I could build with that thing, I'd be rich enough to afford a real morph. Er, I mean, I'll be rich enough to support the Jovian Republic! Yes! That is what I meant."
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I know it has been used in fiction, it powers the Moravec's ship in Dan Simmons "Illium".
It has been studied a bit, see the subject of electrodynamic tethers. For example this paper (pdf) calculates that if we deorbit Amalthea we could get 4×10^15 J. This paper claims you can get 1 MW with just an 11 km tether, which is more than current materials can handle.
This is just the magnetic field of Jupiter, not the 10^12 W flux tube. According to some papers I have seen this is actually already acting as a giant engine to move Io into a more remote orbit. Putting a cable into it might entice some of those electrons to do some work, so I wouldn't be too surprised if one could get a fraction of those terawatts to power the Jovian Republic doomsday lasers...