Hi guys,
I'm starting to plan a new pen & paper RPG in the not so distant future of Earth. I'm trying to have the thing rather hard science, but it's difficult to find the answers I'm looking for over the internet, even if everything is there probably!
If that's not the proper forum for this kind of questions, just point me to the correct one.
A first set of questions is about what I can expect in term of mass usage from a propulsion system which is fission based (nuclear pulse). How much energy one gram of fissile matter (the uranium we use in nuclear plant) can deliver? I know also that you don't get to use all this energy, so there is an efficiency loss.
One newton being defined as the force that will push at one m/s one kg of matter, how it relates to the energy of 1 g of fissile matter? I also so it is expressed in MeV, but also energy is in Joule ...
I need some Physic 101 here :-)
Another set of questions I'm asking me about is at which speed in space the little debris and loose grain of matters start to be dangerous (understand will pierce easily a spaceship)? I have no clue here ...
What strategies there are to fight off that, in a realistic manner? Would a lattice of ceramic and hydrogel stops enough of the impact, is it sustainable? That would be an ablative process, but what is the life expectancy of say 5 meter thick of such material.
Is it the right material? I speak of hydrogel because I read somewhere that a huge tank of water at the front of a spaceship would also be very useful to stop the deadly radiations...
Ok, enough for now. I have an ample reserve of questions anyway...