[TML] "Dies the Fire"

[Timothy Little]

On Tue, Dec 11, 2007 at 12:20:13AM -0500, Richard Aiken wrote:
> Hmmm.  Is the solar gravity weaker than "all those millions of
> kilometers of rock" due to the inverse square law?

Vastly weaker.  The solar gravity can be essentially ignored.


> And what about Jerry's point about the Sun moving toward the disk?
> Ah!  Wait one.  The disk is pulling on it equally from all sides, so
> the forces cancel out.  Right?

Yes.  Until it moves a tiny bit off the centre line, making it
slightly more attracted to that side fo the disk, moving it further
off the centre line, etc.

So the star would need dynamic stability control to avoid crashing
into the disk, just as the Ringworld did.


> Hmmm.  Thinking about it, now.  Would the core surface gravity be
> higher that the rim surface gravity?

Pretty similar, though probably greater at the rim.  This could easily
change if the rim is even slightly thinner or less dense.


> > > entirely, big holes exist to allow a chance at passing safely
> > > *through* it.
> 
> Since you made no comment on this bit, I assume the holes are a good idea?

I don't know about Leonard, but I don't think they're a bad idea.

You'd have to keep them in vacuum though, or there's little point.
Air falling in will compress to the point where it is effectively
another form of rock.


- Tim