If photon hitting a surface can impart momentum, does generating photons also impart momentum? Like, if you put a solar powered laser pointer in space, would it move?
Sure, but it would be less efficient than a sail, and since the incoming radiation would impart inertia on the solar panels, you would still be limited on where you could steer.
Yes, but that would be a lot less efficient. With a dielectric mirror you can get easily 99.9% of the maximum momentum gain from the light, while with a solar powered laser you would get for the emission the compounded efficiency of the solar panel + storage + laser, so way below 10%. So you would gain around 10 times more impulse from your solar panel absorbing light than from the actual laser.
The final momentum gain is a bit different as the maximum you can gain from a photon is double its momentum (because you can reflect it back with opposite direction).
If photon hitting a surface can impart momentum, does generating photons also impart momentum? Like, if you put a solar powered laser pointer in space, would it move?
Yes, it’s called radiation pressure by emmision
The formula for it is Irradiance^1 of the emission/speed of light.
1: irradiance is basically how much power per unit area is emmited by the object, it’s units are watt/m^2
As for the lasers thing, I’m not a 100% sure how effective that will be and TBH lasers are pretty complicated and I don’t really get them
aww so people are pushed away from me because of my brightness and not because I’m dumb??
Sure, but it would be less efficient than a sail, and since the incoming radiation would impart inertia on the solar panels, you would still be limited on where you could steer.
Sail absorbs power while also acting as a sail, and you can use the lasers to steer?
It would also be like steering a boat more or less no?
Yes, but that would be a lot less efficient. With a dielectric mirror you can get easily 99.9% of the maximum momentum gain from the light, while with a solar powered laser you would get for the emission the compounded efficiency of the solar panel + storage + laser, so way below 10%. So you would gain around 10 times more impulse from your solar panel absorbing light than from the actual laser.
The final momentum gain is a bit different as the maximum you can gain from a photon is double its momentum (because you can reflect it back with opposite direction).