CPA Postdoc L(a)unch – August 25

Dr. Marianne Aellen

Scaling laws of deformation of lightsails for interstellar space travel

Lunch will be provided starting 11:45 AM!

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Scaling laws of deformation of lightsails for interstellar space travel

Interstellar space travel requires new propulsion mechanisms. Employing radiation pressure from a high-power ground-based laser is a conceivable route to accelerate an ultralight spacecraft to a fraction of speed of light. To adhere to strict mass constraints, such a spacecraft consist of an ultrathin membrane. During acceleration, this membrane will deform significantly, leading to its collapse. Here, we study the deformation of circular lightsails propelled by a Gaussian laser beam. We observe a significant change in scaling laws when increasing the lateral sail size from micrometers to millimeters. These findings serve as the basis for designing stiffening elements to prevent lightsail collapse during acceleration.