I worked up a possible way to do that, "just" put in about 100 turns of superconductor around the equator and pump about 50,000 amps through it, it will need only minor maintenance of the field after that, but now you have a field more powerful than Earth's.
But these dudes came up with something sneaker and it might even work.
https://futurism.com/scientists-propose-jumpstarting-mars-magnetic-field
This is definitely thinking outside the box.
@sonhouse saidIt seem these guys have a definite certain view of Elon Musk...
I worked up a possible way to do that, "just" put in about 100 turns of superconductor around the equator and pump about 50,000 amps through it, it will need only minor maintenance of the field after that, but now you have a field more powerful than Earth's.
But these dudes came up with something sneaker and it might even work.
https://futurism.com/scientists-propose-jumpstarting-mars-magnetic-field
This is definitely thinking outside the box.
"... Among folks looking toward permanent colonies is SpaceX CEO and noted loudmouth Elon Musk.... " !
@Ponderable
GEES, Picky Picky🙂 Of course we are not talking about century twenty ONE. First off, my idea really wants at least room temp superconductors to have a chance of a more or less maintainable field and of course there would need to be an entire viable scientific civilization there first to even contemplate any such devices.
But we have to dream.
One thing, could having a powerful magnetic field generated at the Martian equator, could it kick start its OWN intrinsic field even if it is not permanent, maybe lasting a few hundred years on its own?
@sonhouse saidMaybe I am picky here. But if we want to establish a civilization we would need the magnetic filed (or live underground), but to create the magentic field we need a civilization... and probably a space lift.
@Ponderable
GEES, Picky Picky🙂 Of course we are not talking about century twenty ONE. First off, my idea really wants at least room temp superconductors to have a chance of a more or less maintainable field and of course there would need to be an entire viable scientific civilization there first to even contemplate any such devices.
But we have to dream.
One thing, c ...[text shortened]... t its OWN intrinsic field even if it is not permanent, maybe lasting a few hundred years on its own?
I don't have the first idea how one would want to kickstart the iron core into revolution. But If that could be achieved it would be the best solution. However if that would mean to heat several million tonnes of planetary material into liquid state I can't see how that energy could be transferred into the planet (much less how we can create the heat)
@sonhouse saidWouldn't it be simpler and safer to just build underground cities?
I worked up a possible way to do that, "just" put in about 100 turns of superconductor around the equator and pump about 50,000 amps through it, it will need only minor maintenance of the field after that, but now you have a field more powerful than Earth's.
But these dudes came up with something sneaker and it might even work.
https://futurism.com/scientists-propose-jumpstarting-mars-magnetic-field
This is definitely thinking outside the box.
@bunnyknight
No, what makes Earth special is its own mag field. But it is not a permanent magnet like we think of mags these days.
It is magnetic because of huge currents flowing deep in the Earth and when that activity dies down so does the field and so the end of our atmosphere starts.
A magnetic field on Mars would allow us to add atmosphere to Mars so we can live on the surface. I think it would be a huge cultural mistake to build cities underground, think permanent stations like Antarctica.
@sonhouse saidOf course creating an atmosphere and a magnetic field would be super nice, but if you want to start living on Mars in 30 years instead of 6000 years, then underground cities are the most practical way to go.
@bunnyknight
No, what makes Earth special is its own mag field. But it is not a permanent magnet like we think of mags these days.
It is magnetic because of huge currents flowing deep in the Earth and when that activity dies down so does the field and so the end of our atmosphere starts.
A magnetic field on Mars would allow us to add atmosphere to Mars so we can live on ...[text shortened]... ld be a huge cultural mistake to build cities underground, think permanent stations like Antarctica.
@bunnyknight
Right now, if and when we ever get to Mars in large numbers, there will be no choice but to live underground but there are noises about making mag fields around towns, I read sci fi stories all the time about mile wide glass domes enclosing such towns filled with room temp air and such but a much more powerful field enclosing an area say a few hundred hectares, that redirects those nasty ions and such to follow the field lines where you would presumably have some kind of field dump where the radiation can hit and not bother the town. Magnetic shields don't STOP radiation and such, just redirects it, makes the ions curve into the field and then follow the line to its end.
One I envisioned for spacecraft, a kind of hollow tube with a huge magnetic field around it but the lines passing through the hollow center where the radiation and such is redirected away from living quarters and just go through the hollow section and then back out into space.
That way you could have high speed interplanetary travel with relative safety.