Jump Tech
Knapp
the math for anything but jump one.
Please let me know of any mistakes, problems, dislikes or even
spelling mistakes so I can fix it.
I have tested the basic idea on the Traveller mailing list and got
very little criticism.
What do you think?
Jump Drive
The Jump drive works based on Jump Energy that gathers around high
gravity wells. This energy then arcs over to other wells. The stronger
the gravity the farther it can arch. The ships travel by jumping into
this energy and following an arcs to a new star. It is easy to jump
into this energy when it is very thick, in the gravity wells but very
hard to get out of when it is thick. The arcs are not constant and
jump from star to star in a random pattern. This jumping happens on
average every 100 days. Less often for smaller stars but more often
for bigger ones. See chart. (note to self, 10 days for O types about
300 days for G2V stars)
Jump drive will work instantaneously or there about. It will go from a
place of high gravity in the near of the surface of a star to an area
of low gravity, about 1/2 the distance to the stars termination shock
and on a beacon. Jumping from N-space to J-space is best done in an
area of very high "gas" density and thus there is a Beacon maintained
at the jump in point, this allows for much lower energy jump-ins.
Jumping in and out releases a large amount of energy in the visible
spectrum and looks like a very bright white flash.
Jumping out is very easy but knowing where you are when doing it is
not. To solve this problem jumping out of J-Space is done with a
beacon also. These beacons allow for communications through J-Space
and also let ships know when the areas is clear for a jump in.
Setting up a Beacon is a talk for the Stellar Rangers. To set one up
you much jump into a new system and search for the right place to set
up the Beacon. This search can take up to one 30 days to find the best
spot, with powerful ships and the right equipment the search time may
be cut down to about 3 days. Once found it is easy to follow the point
around as it drifts but if lost you must start all over and re-find
it. Jumping into a system without a beacon means that your point of
arrival will be from 1/2 the distance to the stars termination shock
to 3 times the distance and might mean jumping into a solid body(not
good).
Beacons use up a large amount of energy and thus are often space
stations. Beacons send and receive transmission through jump space and
then retransmit to the system that they are in. Even if the wisps are
not strong enough for ship travel between stars they are always there
and allow for communications between Beacons. The best points for a
Beacon in a system tends to drift with time and they must be moved
from time to time. Finding if new routes are open can only be done by
trying them. This is the job of a specially trained group of ships and
pilots called Stellar Ranges.
Jump only works because there is a "gas" in jump space that clusters
around points of high gravity in normal space. When this "gas" is of
high density it is possible to jump into jump space and travel along
wisps of this "gas" that exist for periods of time between stars. To
jump back to normal space you need to be in an area of thin "gas"
because the "gas" tends to hold objects in Jump space. Sometimes the
whisps break or thin to the point of uselessness and reform to other
local stars. There are potential connections to all stars within about
6 parsecs of the central star or even farther with massive stars.
These connections once formed tend to last about 1 year and then
switch to a new star. At any given time about 50% of the local stars
are connected. The relation of jump space to normal space is not one
to one and seems a bit random due to scientists not yet fully
understanding it, thus the need for beacons to come out at the right
place.
For ships to jump they must have a jump drive, jump sensors and jump
navigation systems. Jump engines do not use reaction mass and hence do
not need to be mounted on the surface of the ship. Jump Engines create
a sphere of energy that allows the ship to transition into and out of
jump space. This sphere shape can be modified by the use of jump nodes
on the surface of the ship or at least close to it. Jump engines use
large amounts of power.
A normal trip from star A to star C via star B is done like this.
1.
Travel in normal space from the planet to the inner Beacon.
2.
Get the jump routes that are open and pick one.
3.
Charge jump engines and then jump.
4.
Arrive at star B in 0 time at outer Beacon.
5.
Refuel needed for next jump from ether Beacon or a planet or
from a comet or from a gas giant. Perhaps jump takes some special fuel
in addition (dilithium crystals?)? This could serve to limit jumps if
need be.
6.
Fly in normal space to inner Beacon and repeat jump.
7.
Come out at planet C at outer Beacon. Fly to habitable planet
and sell goods and buy new ones.
Luckily these disasters are very rare! Most common listed first.
*
Ship loose Beacon signal. Your ship comes out at the star but
perhaps a long way out.
*
Miss jump. Gate closes as you jump. Ship comes out at wrong star
and you can't go directly back to the star you started from.
*
Bad jump. You come out at wrong star.
*
Really bad jump. You come out is deep space with no way to get
home and starve to death.
*
Ship blows up due to bad repair, bad part or sabotage.
Major question.
*
How far can a ship jump at jump one between two stars of mass M
and m? Parsecs=(Mm)^.3
*
How far apart are our stars anyway?
*
What is the maximum jump number or range?
*
Where exactly should the inner and outer Beacons be located?
*
How far is this for each star type?
*
How much time does this mean for normal travel?
*
What speed is the maximum for ships?
*
What is the maximum acceleration for the ships?
Beaming Transport
Beaming transport must be done from a large sending device to a large
receiving device. The range is short, about 1500 km. The energy
required is high and thus the costs are high, roughly equal to the
costs of a Seattle to Tokyo plane flight. The main reason for this is
to avoid the programming needed for planet landings and ship to ship
transport.
Artificial gravity
Artificial gravity is not used because it takes to much magic to make
it work and this is hard SF with the exception of Jump Tech. Most
ships pull one G at all times to give the feeling of gravity on the
ships. Others rotate for this reason.
Star to Star Communications
Star to Star Communications is done using a sideline of Jump Tech. It
is instantaneous and requires the use of a Beacon or jump ship it the
system. It travels from one Beacon to the next Beacon and from there
at the speed of light to anyplace in a system. This also implies that
the communications might be intercepted by the Beacon stations.
--
Douglas E Knapp