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physics.app-ph2024
All-optical damping forces enhanced by metasurfaces for stable relativistic lightsail propulsion
Jadon Y. Lin, C. Martijn de Sterke, Michael S. Wheatland +2
Lightsails are a promising spacecraft concept that can reach relativistic speeds via propulsion by laser light, allowing travel to nearby stars within a human lifetime. The success…
physics.app-ph2024
Poynting-Robertson damping of laser beam driven lightsails
Rhys Mackintosh, Jadon Y. Lin, Michael S. Wheatland +1
Lightsails using Earth-based lasers for propulsion require passive stabilization to stay within the beam. This can be achieved through the sail's scattering properties, creating op…