arXiv · 1703.02940
Radiation Pressure on a Diffractive Sailcraft
Abstract
Advanced diffractive films may afford advantages over passive reflective surfaces for a variety space missions that use solar or laser in-space propulsion. Three cases are compared: Sun-facing diffractive sails, Littrow diffraction configurations, and conventional reflective sails. A simple Earth-to-Mars orbit transfer at a constant attitude with respect to the sun-line finds no penalty for transparent diffractive sails. Advantages of the latter approach include actively controlled metasails and the reuse of photons.
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Grover A. Swartzlander Jr. 2017-03-08. Radiation Pressure on a Diffractive Sailcraft. https://doi.org/10.1364/josab.34.000c25
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