- #1
synch
- 61
- 10
Looking at a humble smoke detector - a metal plate with some alpha source on one side. I guess the fission products / apha etc emitted in one direction are absorbed into the metal, and the opposite direction go into space. So there should be a minute net force ? Would that be useful as a "sail" in space ? It seems to me it would be simpler than a thermoelectric generator and ion engine (?)