Which mechanism?

1.  Solar sail, standard configuration.
2.  Solar sail, released and used in reverse
3.  Using the sail as reaction mass

Obviously, the effectiveness of 2 vs.. 3 depends upon the mass to area 
ratio of the sail (and its reflectivity).  There may be a sweet spot (or 
curve).  A ball of tungsten would probably favor 3.  A sail with a mass 
to area ratio of zero would accelerate away from the sun so fast you'd 
get no benefit from the reflection.  Somewhere in the middle would 
presumably be an optimum.  This optimum would probably depend upon 
reflectivity (hence the curve).

Dave

Dave VanHorn wrote:

> At 05:37 PM 10/15/2004, David Minkler wrote:
>
>> Uh yeah (LOL).  I'll use my sail as reaction mass thank you.
>
>
> Several SF writers (the good kind) have proposed this mechanism, IIRC 
> Bob Forward was one.
>
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