FRB's source as Rail and/or Coil Guns (or mass drivers)

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) being caused by rail and/or coil guns, or mass drivers. However, this theory is unlikely due to the technical limitations and speculative assumptions involved. The conversation also references an experiment that observed radio emissions from a firing rail gun, but it is not enough evidence to support the FRB theory. Overall, the discussion concludes that the source of FRBs is still unknown.
  • #1
dedocta
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TL;DR Summary
FRB's source as Rail and/or Coil Guns (or mass drivers)
Summary: FRB's source as Rail and/or Coil Guns (or mass drivers)

Hello,

I've been studying rail and coil guns recently, and certain applications of this technology can result in some pretty high speeds with a significant amount of mass. I've been wondering if these FRB's could be a result of these? By my calculations, that amount of force could result in a extremely high %c velocities. In fact, if you could harness 10^30 to 10^33 Joules of energy, then one would see a huge lorentz factor...

The main problem with this tech, would be slowing. But I wonder if you have a mass driver, would it be possible to design something at the point of arrival, with a similar mechanism, as a mass "catcher."

Additionally, someone did an experiment where they observed radio emissions from a firing rail gun. Link: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a470631.pdf

To me, the spectra seem to fit with an FRB, but I'm not a physicist by trade, just curious. Also, if the object has a small diameter, but it's VERY long, then one would see a strange dispersion measure from one of these events, assuming emission along a rail as the mass travels along the thing.

Curious to see what folks would think of this?

Thanks,

Mike
 
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  • #2
dedocta said:
Summary: FRB's source as Rail and/or Coil Guns (or mass drivers)

I've been wondering if these FRB's could be a result of these?
No. You implicite some extraterrestrial lifeform using railguns, and produce radio signals, which we detect.
It is extremely unlikely that such lifeforms exist with the exact level of technology. If they do, why should the use railguns? If they exist and use railguns, why should theirs emit radio signals? Hence

If they exist,
if they have a similar level of technology than us,
if they use railguns,
if their railguns emit radio waves,
if this all happens within the range which we can observe,

then the signals will still be far too weak for us to detect considering the distances we observe FRBs from.

And the duration and frequency of occurrences are the next problems.

So even if we assume five big IF, we still ran into the problem that our observations do not match such a potential cause.Since the entire subject is based on too many speculative assumptions, compared with the technical impossibility, this thread is closed.
 
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Likes dedocta and berkeman

1. What is an FRB?

An FRB, or Fast Radio Burst, is a transient radio pulse of unknown origin that lasts only a few milliseconds. These bursts were first discovered in 2007 and have been observed in various locations in the universe.

2. How are Rail and/or Coil Guns related to FRBs?

There is currently no proven connection between Rail and/or Coil Guns and FRBs. Some theories suggest that these bursts could be caused by the acceleration of charged particles in the presence of strong magnetic fields, similar to how a Rail or Coil Gun works. However, this is still just a hypothesis and more research is needed to confirm this connection.

3. Can Rail and/or Coil Guns actually produce FRBs?

While it is possible for Rail and/or Coil Guns to produce radio waves, the energy required to create an FRB is much greater than what is currently achievable with these technologies. Additionally, the mechanism for producing an FRB is still unknown, so it is not possible to say for sure if Rail and/or Coil Guns could be used to create them.

4. Are there any experiments or studies being conducted to test the connection between FRBs and Rail and/or Coil Guns?

Yes, there are ongoing studies and experiments being conducted to explore the possibility of a connection between FRBs and Rail and/or Coil Guns. These include simulations and laboratory experiments to test the effects of magnetic fields on charged particles and their potential to produce radio bursts.

5. What other possible sources could be responsible for FRBs?

There are several other theories for the source of FRBs, including neutron stars, black holes, and even extraterrestrial civilizations. However, none of these theories have been confirmed and the true source of FRBs remains a mystery. More research and observations are needed to understand these elusive bursts.

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