SPS environmental effects on the upper atmosphere

SPS environmental effects on the upper atmosphere [electronic resource]

The ionospheric effects and associated environmental impacts which may be produced during the construction and operation of a solar power satellite system are reviewed. Propellant emissions from heavy lift-launch vehicles are predicted to cause widespread ionospheric depletions in electron and ion d...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Online Access: Online Access
Corporate Author: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (Researcher)
Format: Government Document Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Los Alamos, N.M. : Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ; distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy, 1980.
Subjects:
Orbital Solar Power Plants.
Environmental Impacts.
Air Pollution.
Climates.
Communications.
Construction.
Electron Density.
Electron Temperature.
Exhaust Gases.
Inhomogeneous Plasma.
Ionosphere.
Microwave Power Transmission.
Microwave Radiation.
Operation.
Rockets.
Striations.
Earth Atmosphere.
Electromagnetic Radiation.
Gaseous Wastes.
Planetary Ionospheres.
Plasma.
Pollution.
Power Plants.
Power Transmission.
Radiations.
Solar Power Plants.
Wastes.
Solar Energy.
Description
Summary:The ionospheric effects and associated environmental impacts which may be produced during the construction and operation of a solar power satellite system are reviewed. Propellant emissions from heavy lift-launch vehicles are predicted to cause widespread ionospheric depletions in electron and ion densities. Collisional damping of the microwave power beam in the lower ionosphere can significantly enhance the local free electron temperatures. Thermal self-focusing of the power beam in the ionosphere may excite variations in the beam power-flux density and create large-scale field-aligned electron density irregularities. These large-scale irregularities may also trigger the formation of small-scale plasma striations. Ionospheric modifications can lead to the development of potentially serious telecommunications and climate impacts. A comprehensive research program is being conducted to understand the physical interactions driving these ionospheric effects and to determine the scope and magnitude of the associated environmental impacts.
Item Description:Published through SciTech Connect.
01/01/1980.
"la-ur-80-1562"
" conf-800672-1"
International symposium on solar power satellites, Toulouse, France, 25 Jun 1980.
Duncan, L.M.
Physical Description:Pages: 10 : digital, PDF file.

Similar Items