On Mon, May 12, 2003 at 11:24:53AM -0400, chris wrote:
> >In the
> >case of a Voyager-class probe, with RTG-sourced power,
>
> For the few of us on the list that are idiots (ok, fine, just for me
> then), what is RTG sourced power?
Radionuclear Thermal Generator, a device which contains some suitable
radioactive isotope. The isotope produces heat due to nuclear decay and
this heat is used to produce electric power. A nice longterm source for
considerable amounts of power (depending on size/weight constraints,
they can deliver anything from a few watt to a few kilowatt and even
more).
Disadvantages: guaranteed to not earn you any new friends among the
treehuggers and its power output drops logarithmically over time.
Regards,
Alex.
--
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
looks like work." -- Thomas A. Edison
Received on Mon May 12 2003 - 13:09:00 BST