Subj: A Massive Ion Beam? Date: 99-01-12 08:53:55 EST From: BitrrSweet To: Phikent Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 23:04:38 -0700 From: "Terry W. Colvin" Subject: IUFO: FWD: (FT) A Massive Ion Beam? -> IUFO Mailing List From: Brian RobsonUnknown Host < http://nmp.ipl.nasa.gov/ds1/tech/sep.html > In addition to this some heavy plasma science has been carried out using Xenon ions on various targets indicating deliverable energies sufficient to cause nuclear fusion. Unknown Host < http://clri6ft.gsi.de/~lantzsch/0197/Plasma.html > This paper also shows that ion beams are far better at penetrating targets delivering a high energy kinetic punch.This is far more efficient than lasers which are heavily attenuated by vapour from the target. Using nuclear warheads to destroy asteroids would create highly unpredictable results and even worsen planetary damage.It is a very short step from electric ion propulsion systems to powerful electromagnetic ion beams several orders of magnitude more powerful. Current Scenario There are large inquiries circulating for very high purity Xenon and Krypton.These gases are inert and very ionisable.High purity is required to avoid corrosion of the jets where the ions are formed.These ions are accelerated by electromagnets to extremely high velocities.Some ground based accelerators achieve .999 light speed.The statistics are staggering. Using the formula Force=3D =BD mv=B2, 1kg of Xenon boosted to a conservative 1/10th light speed will deliver a force of 450 Billion tons to its target.Furthermore the ion beam can be highly controlled and could be used to accurately control the trajectory of an asteroid.The beam will hardly be attenuated in the near vacuum of space. This energy would be delivered over the course of days and weeks as controlled pulses.Regarding the question of recoil, the ISS is orbiting the Earth and 50% of the time will be pointing one way at the asteroid and 50% the other. Any acceleration and deceleration of the ISS will be cancelled out by changing the polarity of the electromagnets.The beam is designed to be operated in both directions.This year a two ton magnet called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer was taken into space on the shuttle at a cost $20 Million "to search for antiparticles". The experiment was not subject to peer review and only 15% of the data was downloaded. Replying to criticism of the AMS ,Dr Ting of MIT replied that even if the spectrometer did not detect antiparticles it would be used to "examine the behaviour of other charged particles".The AMS is due to be installed on the ISS in 2002. Finally in an issue of Newscientist dated 20th November confirms the existence of a large Xenon storage tank on the ISS. Strangely, a search of NASA websites fails to mention anything about this large component. Disclaimer The above information has been gleaned from the Internet and Scientific periodicals.Pictures are courtesy of NASA and must not be used for commercial purposes. Postscript If this hypothesis is correct it begs the question: Is this a "just in case" scenario or do the powers that be know that impact is imminent? If the latter is the case you certainly would not like this to become public knowledge,would you? Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean@primenet.com >