Stellar Engines

A stellar engine, such as the Shkadov thruster named after Soviet aeronautics scientist Leonid Mikhailovich Shkadov, is a megastructure built around a star for the purpose of moving that star and any orbiting planets. Several variants of the Shkadov thruster have been hypothesized, including the Badescu-Cathcart engine, the Caplan thruster and the Star Tug.

Detectability

  • The unusual movement of an artificially propelled star could be detectable when compared with the movement of adjacent stars.

Research

5-Oct-2022
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
15-Jul-2021
8-Jul-2021
Acta Astronautica
5-Sep-2020
3-Jul-2020
Acta Astronautica
4-Sep-2019
Acta Astronautica
1-Dec-2017
Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
7-Jun-2013
Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
27-Sep-2005
Acta Astronautica
27-Sep-2005
Acta Astronautica
(5-Oct-2022)
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
(15-Jul-2021)
(8-Jul-2021)
Acta Astronautica
Manasvi Lingam and Abraham Loeb (5-Sep-2020)
Alexander A. Svoronos (3-Jul-2020)
Acta Astronautica
Matthew E. Caplan (4-Sep-2019)
Acta Astronautica
G.L. Matloff (1-Dec-2017)
Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
Duncan H. Forgan (7-Jun-2013)
Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
Viorel Badescua, Richard B. Cathcart (27-Sep-2005)
Acta Astronautica
Viorel Badescu, Richard B. Cathcart (27-Sep-2005)
Acta Astronautica