pardon me while I reiterate...
If I understand the situation correctly, Traveller's 100 diameter distance from
a planet necessary for a safe jump, doesn't match the assumption that jumps
need to take place in a near zero gravity, below some threshold according to
the 1/r^2 attenuation of gravity as you move away from a gravity source.
First, the diameter of the planet doesn't matter, it's the total mass of the
planet, and the distance from the center of the gravity.
Second, the 1/r^2 attenuation comes up with a distance well under 100 diameters
for most planets, yet the threshold 1/r^2 attenuation of a star's gravity ends
up typically being well past the orbit of habitable planets.
So, someone proposes using a 1/r^3 attenuation for gravitic curvature?
Interesting, in BattleTech, the jump points are typically above the poles of
the star.
What about the points between the star and the planet where their gravity
cancels each other? Would that be a viable jump point?
Jim Baranski
Norwich CT