Super-habitats

Robert,

Tint problem, we are talking about a habitat, a very large habitat but still
a habitat and one that is only 5,000 Km wide, it is either a very small sun
or you have mistaken the references to Larry Nivens Ringworld to mean that
we were discussing it. I would love to be able to rip up a solar system (or
more likely 3 or 4 systems to be able to build such a thing, with a width of
say 2 million Km and a radius of 150 million Km we would have 471,000,000 X
2,000,000 or 294,000,000,000,000 sq Km or just short of 2 million times the
land area of the Earth, instant galactic empire. Mind you I think that by
the time we are able to do this there will be other options.

Darren

If we all chipped in a few dollars each do you think we could get the
deposit of one?

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
, "Ian Woollard"
wrote:
>
> The problem is the supports. The supports have to 2500km long, and
half of their length is at above half earth gravity.
The 'characteristic length' of aluminium is IRC ~80km, in other words
the thickness of a cable has to increase by a factor 'e' every ~80km
just to support its own length under 1g. So you can imagine how thick
support spokes would be by the time you get to the center of the
structure.
>
that is assuming that the spokes connect to the center. If the sun is
in the center thats not likely.

Instead imagine the spokes being like the cord of a circle. imagine a
octagan inside the circle connecting to the circle at the intersets.

now put a hundred octagons staggard around the rim. This would gain
the same effect as spokes, but be considerable less heavy.