FYKOS Year 35 Series 2 Problem 5 — Shkadov thruster · FYKOS 35 #35.2.5
Physics · mechanics · thermodynamics
Problem
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, one civilisation decided to move its whole solar system. One of the possibilities was to build a “Dyson half-sphere”, i. e. a megastructure which would capture approximately half of the radiation output of the start and reflect it in a single direction. An ideal shape would therefore be a paraboloid of revolution. What would be the relation between the radiation output of the star, surface mass density of such a mirror and its distance from the star such that this distance is constant?