FYKOS Year 34 Series 1 Problem 4 — solar sail · FYKOS 34 #34.1.4

Physics · mechanics · thermodynamics

Problem

A solar sail with the surface area S=500 m2S = 500\,\mathrm{m^2} and area density σ=1.4 kg⋅m−2\sigma =1.4\,\mathrm{kg\cdot m^{-2}} is located at the distance of 0.8 au0.8\,\mathrm{au} from the Sun. What force does the solar radiation act on the sail at the beginning of the sail's motion? What is the acceleration of the sail at that moment? The luminosity of the Sun is L⊙=3.826⋅1026 WL_{\odot} =3.826\cdot 10^{26}\,\mathrm{W}. Assume that the radiation approaches the sail from a perpendicular direction and scatters elastically.

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