
Magnetic shield could protect spacecraft - elcritch
https://physicsworld.com/a/magnetic-shield-could-protect-spacecraft/
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peter_d_sherman
>The researchers believe it is possible to exploit this knowledge of
turbulence to create a much smaller protective bubble, and have confirmed this
belief — first through computer simulations, and then in a laboratory
experiment. The latter involved injecting a supersonic plasma into a 1.5 m
long vacuum vessel lined with magnetic coils, with a target magnet placed at
the far end of the vessel. Using both optical imaging and an electromagnetic
probe, Bamford’s team showed that the target magnet deflected the plasma such
that the volume of space surrounding the magnet was almost entirely free of
plasma particles (Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50 124025).

Bamford and colleagues say these _results show that a spacecraft could in fact
be protected using a bubble just some 100–200 m across._ This, they say, would
correspond to a magnet of about 1 Tesla, which would be light enough to be
transported into space."

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yellowapple
Working link to the paper (because the one in the article appears to be dead):
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243359043_The_inter...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243359043_The_interaction_of_a_flowing_plasma_with_a_dipole_magnetic_field_Measurements_and_modelling_of_a_diamagnetic_cavity_relevant_to_spacecraft_protection)

Also, should probably include the date (2008) in the title.

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vulcan01
> Getting in a tin can with a rocket on your back and flying to Mars is never
> going to be a safe thing to do - Ruth Bamford, Rutherford lab

Haha.

In all seriousness, is the essence of the article saying that placing strong
enough magnets around a rocket that will exit the Earth's magnetosphere is
enough to protect against most kinds of cosmic rays?

