drifting back OT (was: Drifting to DSII (was Re: New Fighter Types (drifting OT....)))

> >> you don't want to know how i

damn.

> >Mass is easy enough, but the simplest formula for

i calculated the change in gravitational potential (energy per unit mass)
between orbit and surface and multiplied by the mass of the rod. if potential
is P, the gravity constant is G, the planet's mass is M and
the distance is r, then P=GM/r; if potential energy is E
and mass is m, E=Pm; thus E=GMm/r, and so dE=GMm(1/r - 1/r') where dE is
change in energy and r and r' are the orbit and surface radii respectively;
the dE comes out negative, as the rod is losing energy to the target.

the titanium alloy i am using is now Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo, Duplex
Annealed, which has a density of 4.54 g/cm3 and a melting point of ~1700
C. not that a liquid impact is any less dangerous; i don't know at what
temperature the Ti begins to burn. i got this data from
http://www.matls.com/search.htm.

> >Taking that orbit is "high enough", you need to calculate the

afraid not. the figure i gave is for bombarding an airless planet :-).

> >I'll forgive you for ignoring heat build-up effects from atmospheric

thanks. the rod could have a cap of heat-resistant or ablative material
to protect it.

i remain, exposed in my pseudoscientific pretentiousness,