hiya,
>> Date: Wed, 01 May 91 13:39:29 CDT
>> From: "Simpson, Bart" [email removed]
>> Subject: (2311) How do Densitometer thingies work?
>>
>> Thank you for all the great ideas for derilect (sp?) ship searching. My
>> original idea was working around using the passive sensors, especially
>> the densitometer. I expected that there would be some 'junk' in space, but
>> (I think) there was generally empty space between systems (can any of you
>> astronomer types help here?) I figured with a sensor radius of 2 light-years
>> (for the passive sensors) - something might be worked out.
>>
>> My biggest question is can anyone tell me how these things 'work'? Do they
>> sense the 'dimples' in space that masses have? I know they rate them at
>> High and Low penetration and then xxx kilometers, but beyond that I know
>> very little. Can they be effectively used in searching for derilicts?
Bertil suggested I should post the following table which he typed in and
deleted (we were talking about this topic via mail a week or so ago).
I don't remember exactly where he got it from (Grand Survey comes to mind),
it was classic trav (I am pretty sure about that).
Anyway, here is the table reproduced for your benefit...
range distance scan size resolution smallest object detectable in
short 1-5m 0.1m 1cm open space
med 5-50m 1m 1cm
long 50-250m 2m 2cm
vlong 250-500m 5m 5cm
dist 500-5000m 20m 20cm
vdist 5-50km 100m 1m
region 50-500km 1km 10m
cont 500-5000km 10km 100m
plan 5000-50000km 100km 1km man sized
farorb 50000-500000km 1000km 10km any size starship
xorb 0.5-5Gm 10000km 100km ships over 10000ton
iplan 5Gm-1AU 1Gm 10000km small asteroids (10km+)
system 1-1000AU 1AU 1Gm large asteroids (200km+)
sublight1000-100000AU 100AU 1AU planets size 1 to A
stellar 100000AU-1pc 10000AU 100AU small gas giants
istellar1-2pc 50000AU 500AU large gas giants
Pauli
seeya
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