Scientists at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (USA) have developed a super-thin nanomaterial made of silicon and silicon dioxide, which will allow space probes to accelerate to 20 percent the speed of light. This is reported by Science Alert.
According to the researchers, the structure of the material will convert waves of infrared (IR) light into a pulse that can accelerate the device up to 60 thousand kilometers per second. Using such a solar "sail" will allow probes to reach nearby stars for decades, not millennia. However, for acceleration, not photons that are emitted by the sun will be used, but a laser that sends beams of infrared radiation.
The difficulty in creating a "sail" is that even for small spacecraft, the surface area that captures photons must be large. In turn, the material should be very light so that its own weight does not interfere with acceleration, but also not be fragile. In addition, it must withstand the high temperatures generated by photon bombardment and emit energy in the form of heat. The developed material allows you to capture a sufficient amount of light without overheating.
Silicon has a refractive index (the ratio of the speeds of light in a medium and in a vacuum) necessary for overclocking, and silicon dioxide provides heat release. The optimal ratio of these components will need to be established in subsequent experiments.