Comments on: IBEX Mission Will View the Final Frontier of the Solar System http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/ Space and astronomy news Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:17:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Bridh Hancock http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27530 Bridh Hancock Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:39:48 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27530 You want money?--Try tying in with Defence, or reducing Defence spending. In a peaceful world, much more will be attempted and achieved. But then we might have a dreadful population explosion, or for a while, anyway. Money and science won't get us out of that. Too many people = too many people for us to cater for and for this world to support without dreadful consequences. You want money?–Try tying in with Defence, or reducing Defence spending. In a peaceful world, much more will be attempted and achieved. But then we might have a dreadful population explosion, or for a while, anyway. Money and science won't get us out of that. Too many people = too many people for us to cater for and for this world to support without dreadful consequences.

]]> By: oletonto http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27347 oletonto Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:59:38 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27347 we have internet, nanotechnology thing but still stuck here on earth those missions are going nowhere and again its all about money ! we have internet, nanotechnology thing but still stuck here on earth
those missions are going nowhere
and again its all about money !

]]> By: Greg http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27304 Greg Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:16:23 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27304 This is a very nice mission concept which may yield some very interesting and unexpected findings. It should be worth every penny spent on it. This is a very nice mission concept which may yield some very interesting and unexpected findings. It should be worth every penny spent on it.

]]> By: Astrofiend http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27291 Astrofiend Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:42:32 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27291 # kvenlander Says: July 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm "I don't understand why the difference between super- and subsonic is so important. After all, in space no one can hear you scream etc. Does it mean the speed of sound in a pretty-close-to-vacuum environment? Where sound doesn't really travel? What is that speed anyway? Anybody?" >>>The interest in the supersonic to subsonic transition has less to do with sound and more to do with the physics that accompanies it. When the flow of particles from the Sun transitions from supersonic to subsonic, a shockwave forms - much as a shockwave forms here on Earth when a plane transitions from subsonic to supersonic. The point at which this occurs in terms of our solar system is called the 'termination shock', and all kinds of interesting physics happens there. For example, magnetic fields are warped, you get compression and heating effects taking place in the plasma, etc. Tentative numbers for the supersonic flow emitted by the sun are ~400 Km/s near the Sun, and the supersonic/subsonic transition happens at about 100 Km/s relative to the Sun. As far as your questions on whether sound can travel in the near vacuum found there - though the plasma is tenuous we can still define a speed of sound there - this is usually done in terms of some slightly obscure physics. Though this speed of sound has little to do with actually 'hearing' anything, shockwaves can still propagate through the plasma medium in a similar way to how sound travels through air. # kvenlander Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm

"I don't understand why the difference between super- and subsonic is so important. After all, in space no one can hear you scream etc. Does it mean the speed of sound in a pretty-close-to-vacuum environment? Where sound doesn't really travel? What is that speed anyway?

Anybody?"

>>>The interest in the supersonic to subsonic transition has less to do with sound and more to do with the physics that accompanies it.

When the flow of particles from the Sun transitions from supersonic to subsonic, a shockwave forms – much as a shockwave forms here on Earth when a plane transitions from subsonic to supersonic. The point at which this occurs in terms of our solar system is called the 'termination shock', and all kinds of interesting physics happens there. For example, magnetic fields are warped, you get compression and heating effects taking place in the plasma, etc.

Tentative numbers for the supersonic flow emitted by the sun are ~400 Km/s near the Sun, and the supersonic/subsonic transition happens at about 100 Km/s relative to the Sun.

As far as your questions on whether sound can travel in the near vacuum found there – though the plasma is tenuous we can still define a speed of sound there – this is usually done in terms of some slightly obscure physics. Though this speed of sound has little to do with actually 'hearing' anything, shockwaves can still propagate through the plasma medium in a similar way to how sound travels through air.

]]> By: Astrofiend http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27287 Astrofiend Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:19:02 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27287 I've always found the termination shock and the heliopause fascinating from a physics point of view. It is great that they have devised a mission capable of making significant strides forward in our knowledge of this enigmatic region of our solar system for a bargain-basement price. I've always found the termination shock and the heliopause fascinating from a physics point of view. It is great that they have devised a mission capable of making significant strides forward in our knowledge of this enigmatic region of our solar system for a bargain-basement price.

]]> By: kvenlander http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27286 kvenlander Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:06:37 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27286 I don't understand why the difference between super- and subsonic is so important. After all, in space no one can hear you scream etc. Does it mean the speed of sound in a pretty-close-to-vacuum environment? Where sound doesn't really travel? What is that speed anyway? Anybody? I don't understand why the difference between super- and subsonic is so important. After all, in space no one can hear you scream etc. Does it mean the speed of sound in a pretty-close-to-vacuum environment? Where sound doesn't really travel? What is that speed anyway?

Anybody?

]]> By: Sili http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/27/ibex-mission-will-view-the-final-frontier-of-the-solar-system/comment-page-1/#comment-27283 Sili Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:47:33 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=16051#comment-27283 These are the particles detected by SOHO, right? (Or was it Ulysses? I forget.) Fascinating to see so short a turnaround from discovery to investigation. What sort of detectors will be able to register the trajectory of neutral atoms? These are the particles detected by SOHO, right? (Or was it Ulysses? I forget.) Fascinating to see so short a turnaround from discovery to investigation.

What sort of detectors will be able to register the trajectory of neutral atoms?

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