How do you protect agenst micrometeorites?

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Offline ScientificSorcerer

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How do you protect agenst micrometeorites?
« on: 28/08/2014 20:34:48 »
how do you protect against


One of the many hazards to life in space is micro meteors, These tiny rocks can be moving incredibly fast relative to you and cause a great deal of damage to your space craft. It's like getting shot with an incredibly small but incredibly fast bullet. How would you protect yourself against the many tiny asteroids found throughout space?

the most common types of asteroids/meteorites are made of ferromagnetic elements such as iron and nickel. Other meteorites are stony and made of silicate minerals. (silicon and such like sand)

If you were to be traveling near the speed of light, it would only take one tiny spec to completely annihilate your space craft.  You have to be able to protect space craft against this sort of stuff if we are ever to get even close to the stars around us.

Like I said earlier most meteorites are Iron-nickel based, both elements are strongly ferromagnetic so a powerful magnet would effect them but would a magnet deflect them?  I remember reading about a magnetic force field which could potentially deflect bullets if the field was strong enough.

At first glance you would expect the magnet to attract iron and nickel but if you take into account the speeds of both objects you might be able to induce a current into conductive iron and be able to deflect potential meteors this Is my idea of a meteor shield.

lets say your space craft is enveloped in a magnetic field which is incredibly strong, lets say 10 T at the surface and your ship is traveling 50% of the speed of light, in front of the space craft is a static potential meteor which is made of iron 1mm in diameter.  A magnetic field 10 t in strength moving 50% light speed would induce quite a current into the tiny spec in front of it causing the spec to be deflected at remarkable speed, it would probably even melt the iron instantly negating the iron's natural attraction to the magnet (ferromagnetism is lost at high temperature) leaving only the repulsive induced magnetism to deflect the molten iron meteor..... It would deflect ionized radiation too so that's a plus.

That's my Idea of space craft "shielding" but it's sort of a half baked idea made for a space craft which is non existent but theoretically would it work?  IDK, What do you guys think?
« Last Edit: 28/08/2014 21:36:03 by ScientificSorcerer »