Recent content by Nik_2213

"What can go wrong..." I still regret the demise of 'Engineering Failures' web-site, with those nape-prickling examples, very carefully documented and explained, of sundry infamous disasters. IIRC... Three Mile Island', beset by poor training and too many clamorous alarms to quickly identify...

Though not near-term, if you had access to kilo-tonnes of generic, trans-Neptunian tholins, what could you do with such 'Star Tar' ?? Perhaps gleaned from a Kuiper belt 'iceteroid', typically thirds each of ices, silicates and tholins...

IIRC, because light via gravitationally lensed arc has taken the scenic route, two legs rather than direct, there have been cases where different arcs of same source have shown sufficiently different time-lapses to be 'useful'. Clearly, deconvoluting *multiple* arcs is 'non-trivial' but, IIRC...

IIRC, there was a trick used in model-boating before modern materials such as ferro-fluids and PTFE to have a threaded prop-shaft so that its usual rotation acted as a screw-pump within stern-tube to drive inevitable ingress along shaft back outwards. Think 'lead-screw'... You could not run in...

IIRC, we already get 'some' small earth-quakes due to 'earth tides'. As ground rises and falls by up to a metre daily, something has to give. Apparently radio-astronomers, nuclear physicists (eg CERN Ring) and gravitational wave hunters (due to long optical paths) routinely make allowances for...

Is this spate of eruptions associated with area's recent very-high rainfall ?? Beyond mud-slides destabilising / relieving edifice flanks, underground pressures must rise as the water-table alters, perhaps accessing 'hotter rocks' than the 'usual' circulation manages.... In 'level' ground...

Beyond 'labyrinths', consider eg 'magnetic bearings', where shaft does not extend through sealed enclosure ?? Okay, may also have 'trad' bearings to accommodate 'excursions'...

In this context, a mild coronal discharge rather than full-on arcing creating fulgurites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_precipitator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgurite My apologies for taking you down a rather arcane 'rabbit hole'...

While still under micro-gravity, in vacuum, would a wary plasma 'glow' safely aggregate and 'weld' such fines ?

It's not just the initial composition, but the mechanical handling. I'd expect 'work-hardened' copper to have a lower thermal and electrical conductivity than the 'fresh' stuff.

Like monopoles, gravitons would be nice to find... ( Do gravitational wave detectors sense the graviton equivalent of ELF EM ?? ) IIRC, 'Teleparallel Gravity' --Albeit as several incomplete and currently contradictory flavours of hypothesis-- suggests that EM radiation = photons are space-time...

"Such 'fines' form the dust-tail if shed from a comet." My query is about those 'fines' on an icy asteroid or before ejected from potential comet nucleus, latter perhaps in Kuiper Belt or 'Inner Oort' so pristine / minimally modified. IIRC, the recent asteroid / comet fly-by / rendezvous /...

Such 'fines' form the dust-tail if shed from a comet. IIRC, several asteroid probes met such. Like Moon-dust, it could be a significant problem for astronauts and their equipment.. Industrial analogy would be soot / ash shed from 'dirty' chimney. Electrostatic precipitators help, but require...

Been there, done that: Wiring acts as antenna to 'spam' area at chopping-frequency and umpteen multiples... This is why 'brush' motors must be very carefully suppressed and shielded...

As I understand it, a warmed comet nucleus or 'iceteroid' will out-gas as it crosses relevant 'ice lines', shed silicate dust ranging from cm-scale down to 'fines' unto electron microscopic. As 'fines' are generally near-fractal, porous and 'fluffy', it is not useful as-is. Worse, too much has...