Written by the pioneer of PLP, the book strives to establish a strong foundational understanding while delving into advanced theoretical concepts. Readers are guided through quantum mechanics, optical resonators, and radiation pressure that underpin this revolutionary thrust mechanism, to then be offered past experimental milestones and cutting-edge demonstrations that trace its evolution and validate its feasibility. A presentation of current application examples as well as long-term development pathways for interstellar commutes conclude the excursus, fostering curiosity and charting a course for further research exploration in this dynamic realm.
Researchers both in academia and industry and a host of other technical audiences at all levels will think of this volume, which consolidates a growing body of knowledge surrounding PLP, as a key resource for their study or work to enable innovative space endeavors, including human civilization's expansion within our solar system or interstellar travel.
Table of Contents
Part I: BACKGROUND1. Introduction
2. Surmounting the Fundamental Constraints of the Rocket Equation
3. Amplified Radiation Pressure
Part II: FUNDAMENTALS AND TECHNOLOGY DETAILS
4. Fundamentals of Photonic Laser Propulsion
5. Quantum Aspect of Photonic Laser Propulsion
Part III: APPLICATIONS AND FUTURE MISSIONS
6. Photonic Laser Thruster
7. Photonic Railway
8. The Future
Authors
Young K. Bae Chief Scientist, Y.K. Bae Corporation, Corona, CA, USA.Dr. Bae, a visionary rocket scientist and physicist, is the pioneering force behind the revolutionary Photonic Laser Propulsion (PLP). He has invented transformative systems such as the Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT), Photonic Railway, and Photon Tether Formation Flight (PTFF). Beyond his contributions to PLP, Dr. Bae discovered the Metastable Innershell Molecular State (MIMS), advancing the science of stellar matter crucial for realizing nuclear fusion power. For his Ph.D. in experimental atomic and plasma physics from UC Berkeley, Dr. Bae conducted research on optical diagnostics for magnetic confinement fusion. At SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), his research focused on self-neutralizing negative ions for particle beams for nuclear fusion and Strategic Defense Initiatives (SDI), leading to the discovery of a self-neutralizing negative ion of the helium molecule. Collaborating with the US Air Force and the late Dr. Forward, he also explored condensing antiprotons for antimatter propulsion. In the late 1980s, seeking a new scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion power, Dr. Bae began researching transient stellar matter created by ultra-hypervelocity impacts of clusters and large molecules. He expanded this research at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), where his group observed anomalous signals that ultimately led to the discovery of the MIMS, high-energy molecules with binding energies up to 1000 times greater than those of conventional molecules. In 2007, Dr. Bae established Y. K. Bae Corp to advance PLP and MIMS research, collaborating with NASA, Los Alamos National Lab, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the US Air Force, and ATK Mission Research. Recently, he and the Los Alamos team demonstrated hypervelocity helium jets reaching velocities of 90 km/s, surpassing the Russian record. Their research aims to explore transient stellar materials generated by compression under billions of atmospheres pressure with minimal electron heating, unlike traditional laser fusion methods.
