Abstract Hyper-thin, high-speed solar-photon sail space probes exploring the Sun׳s Oort comet cloud could also be used to set an upper bound to the concentration of WIMPS (weakly interacting massive particles), one of the suggested (but unconfirmed) forms of dark matter within the vicinity of the solar system. Newton׳s Shell Theorem would be applied to determine variations in apparent solar mass as the probe moves further out from the Sun. Application of this technique to the trajectories of Pioneer 10/11 reveals that the upper limit to WIMP concentration within ~60AU of the Sun is ~0.2 Earth masses, as revealed in studies of the Pioneer Anomaly. If the published accuracy of the Pioneer acceleration measurements can be increased by an order of magnitude, probe trajectory measurements out to ~10,000AU may confirm or falsify the hypothesis that WIMP mass within the solar vicinity is ~3X star mass. It is shown that a space-manufactured ~40-nm thick beryllium hollow-body solar sail deployed from a ~0.07AU perihelion is a candidate spacecraft for such a mission. Possible science-team organization strategy for a ~100-year mission to ~10,000AU is discussed.

    Highlights Discusses rival explanations for anomalous stellar motions. Reviews concepts of WIMPS and MACHOS. Discusses and applies Newton׳s Shell Theory for local WIMP search. Reviews solar sail theory and potential. Proposes sail mission to hunt for WIMPS.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Extrasolar solar-sail trajectories and dark matter


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 104 , 2 ; 472-476


    Publication date :

    2014-03-30


    Size :

    5 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Extrasolar solar-sail trajectories and dark matter

    Matloff, Gregory L. | Online Contents | 2014



    Extrasolar planets, dark-matter ``showers.''

    British Library Online Contents | 2014


    Solar Sail Capture Trajectories at Mercury

    Macdonald, Malcolm / McInnes, Colin | AIAA | 2002


    Optimal solar sail transfer to linear trajectories

    Quarta, Alessandro A. | Online Contents | 2013