Scientists in Austria and the United States have recognized Robert Bussard's interstellar engine as impossible
Image: NASA
Physicists from Austria and the United States have denied the efficiency of the Bussard engine, which, according to the hypothesis, could allow spacecraft to cover interstellar distances, and recognized its creation as impossible. This is reported in an article published in the journal Acta Astronautica.
The concept, created by Robert Bussard in 1960, involves capturing protons from outer space to support thermonuclear reactions. For this, a magnetic funnel is used, which is created in front of the ship. The theoretical feasibility of such an engine was confirmed nine years later, when scientists first described magnetic fields suitable for capturing protons.
The researchers created a mathematical model of electromagnetic fields and recognized that the basic principle of particle capture actually works. That is, protons can be collected from interstellar space and sent to a fusion engine to reach speeds close to the speed of light.
However, the density of hydrogen atoms in interstellar space is quite low and reaches one per cubic centimeter. For effective collection of particles, the magnetic funnel must have gigantic dimensions, reaching diameters of four thousand kilometers, and a length of 150 million kilometers. The authors note that this is technically impossible even for an advanced civilization.
