Found some interesting references at
https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2017...em-and-beyond/ and
https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2020...tellar-flight/ . The former is a variant magsail which can be used, among other things, as "Charged particle radiation shield for crewed flights":
Quote:
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The magnetosphere generated by the engine makes a good radiation shield for the charged particles of the solar wind. It should prove to be a good solution for the solar wind, solar flares and even coronal mass ejections (CME). This device could, therefore, be used for human flight to reduce radiation effects. For human crewed flights, the 1N of thrust is insufficient for the size of the spacecraft and would have a marginal propulsion compared to the main engines. Given the plasma magnet’s small size and mass, and relatively low power requirements, the device provides a cost-effective means to protect the crew without resorting to large masses of physical shielding. The plasma magnet would appear to be only effective for the charged solar wind, leaving the neutral GCRs to enter the craft. However, when an auxiliary device is used in the mode of aerobraking, the charge exchange mechanism should reduce the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) penetration (see item 8 below).
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The latter is a weird little idea, dragging a kilometres-long superconducting cable to generate an EM field, which as it drags against the ISM, provides electricity which then runs a drive; I'm less interested in the power-generation part than the long, trailing cable generating an interesting field. (Given that I'm focusing on a probe which is plowing a narrow path through space that's clear of particles, and thus a cable pulled along wouldn't ablate particularly fast.)
I'm currently tempted to snag the magsail stats from 3e's Vehicles Expansion 1 (as opposed to the plasma sail stats, which would need an infeasibly-large amount of hydrogen, as it leaks out of the plasma-bubble), claim that the superconducting wire trails the probe instead of forming a loop, and handwave some cosmic-ray PF numbers. Though the less handwaving, the better; anyone care to suggest any details?
(A sample set of magsail stats: TL8, 0.01 lbs thrust: 107.5 lbs, 18,974 kJ, radius 118.5 feet (circumference 744.6 feet), 2.15 cf when reeled in, $10,750, takes 6,955 years to brake a 1-ton probe from 0.01c.)