Can a magnetic shield be effective for interstellar ships?
Superconductors will be a revolutionary enabling technology for many aspects of space construction. One such use is a magnetic field to protect a craft from solar activity, in the same manner that Earth is protected.
But interstellar space is filled with hydrogen atoms and dust, which are not charged particles.
A light-weight spacecraft will want to avoid massive shielding, but at speeds >10% c, the interstellar medium becomes a big hazard.
How can electric/magnetic shields be used in combination with other techniques to provide safe passage at speed? The problem with simply using an ionization laser shining ahead is the huge amount of energy expended.
Being a solar sail, can the launch laser help?
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