A small spaceship cruises the solar system using an ideal, square-absorbing solar sail with side length L = 1000 m. a.Assume the sun can be modeled as a point source of light. If the intensity of electromagnetic radiation near the earth is 1300 W/m2, and the earth is 150°x10^9m from the sun, what is the power of the sun’s light emission? If this spacecraft is close to Mars, 230°x10^9m away from the sun, and is traveling directly away from the sun with an acceleration a0 = 0.01m/s2 what is the mass of the spacecraft? b. You fasten two adjustable light polarizers with polarizer axes that subtend an angle θ with respect to one another on the side of the sail where light is incident. These polarizers are the same size as the sail, covering its total area. What must θ be to reduce the acceleration of the craft to a0/8? What must θ be to reduce the acceleration of the craft to 0? c.Using the value of θ you found that corresponds to the acceleration of a0/8 find the the magnitude of the electric and magnetic field associated with the electromagnetic radiation incident from the sun on the sail (i) before the light passes through the polarizers and, (ii) after the light passes through the polarizers.
A small spaceship cruises the solar system using an ideal, square-absorbing solar sail with
side length L = 1000 m.
a.Assume the sun can be modeled as a point source of light. If the intensity of
radiation near the earth is 1300 W/m2, and the earth is 150°x10^9m from the sun, what is the power of the
sun’s light emission? If this spacecraft is close to Mars, 230°x10^9m away from the sun, and is traveling
directly away from the sun with an acceleration a0 = 0.01m/s2 what is the mass of the spacecraft?
b.
You fasten two adjustable light polarizers with polarizer axes that subtend an angle θ
with respect to one another on the side of the sail where light is incident. These polarizers are the same
size as the sail, covering its total area. What must θ be to reduce the acceleration of the craft to a0/8?
What must θ be to reduce the acceleration of the craft to 0?
c.Using the value of θ you found that corresponds to the acceleration of a0/8 find the
the magnitude of the electric and magnetic field associated with the electromagnetic radiation incident from
the sun on the sail (i) before the light passes through the polarizers and, (ii) after the light passes through
the polarizers.
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