Table 1. Parameters for advanced (v = 0.01 c) and solar-sail (v = 5E-4 c) microbial swarm missions to nearby stars and to the Rho Ophiuchus cloud.
|
|
d
(ly)a |
r (m)b |
Dy (m)c v (c) 0.01 5E-4 |
|
Nearby Stars |
|||
|
Alpha PsA |
22.6 |
5.0E11 |
2.3E10 4.6E11 |
|
Beta Pic |
52.8 |
1.3E12 |
1.3E11 2.5E12 |
|
Rho Ophiuchus Cloud |
|||
|
Dense Fragment |
520 |
3E16 |
1.2E13 2.4E14 |
|
Protostellar |
520 |
3E14 |
“ “ |
|
Early Accretion
Disk |
520 |
1.5E13 |
“ “ |
|
Late Accretion
Disk |
520 |
2.6E12 |
“ “ |
|
Young Stellar Object |
520 |
5.3E11 |
“ “ |
|
|
d Ptarget v (c) 0.01 5E-4 |
e Pplanet v (c) 0.01 5E-4 |
m (kg)f v (c) 0.01 5E-4 |
|
Nearby Stars |
|||
|
Alpha PsA |
(4.7E2)
(1.2E0) |
1E-5 1.1E-5 |
1.1E-3
1.1E-3 |
|
Beta Pic |
(1.0E2)
2.7E-1 |
1E-5 2.5E-6 |
1.1E-3
4.5E-3 |
|
Rho Ophiuchus Cloud |
|||
|
Dense Core |
(6.3E6)
(1.6E4) |
1E-16 1E-16 |
1.1E8g 1.1E8g |
|
Protostellar |
(6.3E2)
(1.6E0) |
1E-13 1E-13 |
1.1E5 1.1E5 |
|
Early |
(1.6E0)
3.9E-3 |
1E-11 3.9E-14 |
1.1E3 2.8E5 |
|
Late Accretion |
4.7E-2 1.2E-4 |
1.5E-11
3.8E-14 |
7.5E2 2.9E5 |
|
Young Stellar |
1.9E-3 4.9E-6 |
1.9E-8
4.9E-11 |
5.8E-1 2.2E2 |
b. Radius of the target objects. For planets, the radius of a circle with an area equal to that of
the habitable zone i.e., r = 0.89rhz. alpha PsA and Beta Pic, rhz from ref. 5, for 1 solar mass
young stellar object, rhz = 1 au. For the late accretion disk, radius of a circle with an area equal
to a disk from 10 to 20 au.
c. Uncertainty in target position at arrival, from equation (1).
d. Probability of arrival within the target zone, from r2/(dy)2. For values of P > 1, shown in
parentheses, the arrival probability is approximately unity.
e. Probability of capture by a planet in the habitable zone, obtained from Ptarget x Pcapture. For
targeted planets, Pcapture = 1E-5; for other targeted objects, see text.
f. Launched biomass necessary for the capture of 100 capsules of 1.1E-10 kg at the target
planet, calculated from 1.1E-8/Pplanet.
g. Mass requirements per planetary system. Note this mission requires launching 100 times
the given masses, for distribution through the cloud.