Accretion Disk Civilizations?

[Nyrath]

http://www.mikebrotherton.com/?p=1796

 

Accretion disks are huge clouds of debris surrounding black holes. The biggest one is around the biggest black hole, the one at the center of the galaxy (Sagittarius A*, pronounced "aye-star"). The article suggest that a high energy civilization could exits there, harvesting the energies from the black hole.

 

Boy, are your stable of players going to be in big trouble when they start exploring it!

[clsage]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

http://www.mikebrotherton.com/?p=1796

 

Accretion disks are huge clouds of debris surrounding black holes. The biggest one is around the biggest black hole, the one at the center of the galaxy (Sagittarius A*, pronounced "aye-star"). The article suggest that a high energy civilization could exits there, harvesting the energies from the black hole.

 

Boy, are your stable of players going to be in big trouble when they start exploring it!

 

There was a story in (as I recall) Analog SF magazine which dealt with folks using accretion disks as a method of "cold storage" and the activities of a "diver" who specialized in trips down near the event horizon to prospect, drop off terminally ill patients waiting for cures, etc. Can't recall the title or date.....:think:

 

And of course, there are always the Heechee to be on the lookout for.

 

-Carl-

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

Probably where the Hooloovoo come from.

[Doc]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

In the case of the far-floater, which is located far from the disk, there exists a critical floating angle, where the gravitational force of the central black hole is balanced with radiation pressure.

 

Cool... An accident of such a far-floater that had happened decades ago when its anlge shifted suddenly would still be visible in the sky of this civilization, slowly falling towards the event horizon of the black hole, without possibility for rescue. People there would still be alive, because of time dilation; they'd seem to be stopped in time, lost forever, but their end coming so slowly... Children at school would still be studying this part of their history, a part, although belonging to the past, that is still present.

 

On the sinking floater, people would be looking at their home world, blue shifted and extremely accelerated, looking at their "own" future without possibility to intervene in it, waiting the moment the tidal force will eventualy destroye their embarcation and kill them all.

 

Humm... I felt romantic on this one.

[Nyrath]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

Cool... An accident of such a far-floater that had happened decades ago when its anlge shifted suddenly would still be visible in the sky of this civilization, slowly falling towards the event horizon of the black hole, without possibility for rescue. People there would still be alive, because of time dilation; they'd seem to be stopped in time, lost forever, but their end coming so slowly... Children at school would still be studying this part of their history, a part, although belonging to the past, that is still present.

 

On the sinking floater, people would be looking at their home world, blue shifted and extremely accelerated, looking at their "own" future without possibility to intervene in it, waiting the moment the tidal force will eventualy destroye their embarcation and kill them all.

 

Humm... I felt romantic on this one.

 

That is a hauntingly romantic setting. It reminds me of a novel by George R. R. Martin called "Dying of the Light."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_of_the_Light

 

It would certainly give your campaign an exotic flavor. Rather than being a re-hash of Star Wars, Traveller, or something.

[Clonus]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

 

On the sinking floater, people would be looking at their home world, blue shifted and extremely accelerated, looking at their "own" future without possibility to intervene in it, waiting the moment the tidal force will eventualy destroye their embarcation and kill them all.

 

Humm... I felt romantic on this one.

 

It wouldn't be "eventually" in their frame of reference. It would be pretty much instantly.

[Doc]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

It would certainly give your campaign an exotic flavor. Rather than being a re-hash of Star Wars' date=' Traveller, or something.[/quote']

 

Yeah, for sure. Who wants to play a re-hash of Star Wars, anyway?

 

 

It wouldn't be "eventually" in their frame of reference. It would be pretty much instantly.

 

Well, I thought that if the floater can survive tidal pressure at its stable and intended orbit around the black hole, it probably wouldn't crush under it a couple of km nearer. I assumed the floater is quite far from the black hole, in order for people working there not to suffer tens of G force... So, the fall into the black hole might not be as rapid as "instantly", as acceleration for 1 G is about 10 m/s, even though the G force may augment quite rapidly while falling towards the black hole.

 

I don't know how fast this acceleration augmentation could be, neither if radiant energy could be used at a distance allowing an acceleration of 1 G, though.

[dmjalund]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

on a tangental note: imagine gaming in an environment like Larry Niven's "The Integral Trees"

[Silverhawk]

Re: Accretion Disk Civilizations?

 

on a tangental note: imagine gaming in an environment like Larry Niven's "The Integral Trees"

 

I actually have started on a world/campaign that was inspired by Integral Trees/Smoke Ring. Really can't say more since a number of my potential players might be lurking around here.