Gerard K O'Neill - Brief History of the Scientist

Gerard K O'Neill was a space activist and physicist from America who was born in 1927 and died in 1992 (Andriessen & Colwell, 2000). The scientist is well known for his invention of the particle storage ring technology as well as his active participation in advocating for space colonization. ONeill joined Swarthmore College for his undergraduate studies after which he proceeded to Cornell University for his graduate studies in physics. In 1954, he earned his PhD and joined the physics department of Princeton University as an instructor. ONeill began conducting experiments on ways through which particle accelerators energy output can be increased (Besser, 2001). In his solution, the scientist devised the particle storage ring which utilized particle beams moving in opposite directions through a chamber with the shape of a ring. In collaboration with Stanford Universitys Wolfgang Panofsky, ONeill built two storage rings in 1959, a technique that was later adopted for several high-energy installations (Besser, 2001)

In the 1960s, he turned his focus to the viability of space colonization leading to the designing of a sealed cylinder that was a kilometer long and whose building was primarily of lunar materials that have been processed. Solar energy was to be used to power the cylinder which had the capability of sustaining humans indefinitely at a given point between the Moon and the Earth (Cheng & ONeill, 1979). As ONeill suggests in his book The High Frontier (1978), a solution to terrestrial problems such as overpopulation, energy shortage and pollution might be space colonies. Before his death, the scientist was researching on how magnetic forces could be used to power a high-speed vehicle travelling through a vacuum (Cheng & ONeill, 1979).

ONeills Achievements and His Effect on Future Developments

One of the major achievements of ONeill was the development of a storage ring which he believed would convince people about the feasibility of his activities. He provided a solution to the complex technical problem involving the injection of a beam of particles from an accelerator into a ring while keeping the particles betatron oscillations small. This was in order to achieve a stable capturing of a considerable portion of the injected particles (Gruntman, 2004). Regarding future developments, the building of a storage ring provided a basis for the development of high-energy particle accelerators.

Also, while serving as a professor where he taught physics at Princeton, ONeill championed some radical course reforms in which the traditional problem exercises were replaced with learning guides. This provided the students with a step-by-step procedure for gaining a profound understanding of their undertakings. The reforms introduced by ONeill served as a major success and their effect on future developments is depicted by the continued use of the learning guide in courses offered at Princeton University (Andriessen & Colwell, 2000). The scientists great keen interest in space colonies led to the foundation of the Space Studies Institute which is an organization that provides support to technical research on the engineering and science of space activities. ONeill invented a functional mass driver model that was successfully built by the institution providing a cheaper and more efficient way of moving materials into orbit from either the Moon or asteroids (Cheng & ONeill, 1979). ONeills achievement in setting up a research institution significantly contributed to future development as the institution continues to serve as a key funding source for space resources, colonization and manufacturing research.

A Description of ONeills Experiment

In the experiment conducted by ONeill in 1965, a Stanford linear accelerator was used as the injector while there were storage rings running with sufficient circulating currents that led to the success of the first physics experiment involving colliding beams (Baxter, 2016). Further, the experiment measured the electron-electron scattering at a center-of-mass energy of 600 MeV, (Baxter, 2016) a value that was higher compared to any possible fixed target for the experiment. From the experiment, it was established that electrons can be treated as point charges that are structureless and down to estimated distances of the order of 10 ^-14 centimeters (Baxter, 2016).

Also, the results obtained demonstrated that an electrons charge is confined to small dimensions below 100 attometers. It is after this experiment demonstrated the feasibility of storage rings that other physicists from different parts of the world started engaging in building their own.

Probable Future Application of Gerard K ONeills Experiments and Achievements

There are a number of ways through which ONeills experiment and achievements might be applied in the future. Of great significance is the scientists introduction of the concept of space colonization which was illustrated by ONeill`s research on space humanization (Liepack, 2009). As suggested by ONeill, the concept of space colonization might be applied in the future in the movement of humans into habitats that are earth-like which are constructed in space. The suggested colonies might have a significant positive impact on the life of humans by providing a reliable supply of energy and food while the occupants enjoy controlled temperate weather and climates (Liepack, 2009). This suggests that by applying the concepts of ONeill, people might find more pleasant and better places than Earth for existence. Therefore, there might be the formation of the first space community in the future that would help in the reduction of various challenges such as pollution, overpopulation and energy shortage. This is in line with what ONeill states in his book about the high frontier

Another possible application of ONeills experiment in the future is in the production of clean and limitless power that is inexpensive for a world that continues to face shortages in raw materials and energy. In this regard, the experiment might be applied in the construction of massive grids that would collect energy for receptors on Earth (Baxter, 2016).

Limitations of ONeills Particle Storage Ring Technology

The technology invented by ONeill is subject to several limitations. To start with, the technology that could lead to space colonization faced a huge challenge in terms of finances whereby the access to the Earth orbit was associated with a high cost (Gruntman, 2004). Also, with the declining energy cost after the oil crisis in 1979, the need for funding space research that was aimed at reducing energy shortage in the earth was condensed. During the crisis, the setting up of space solar power stations was deemed economically attractive but the situation changed over the time.

Another limitation of this technology as suggested by critiques is the cages in space (Besser, 2001). It is said that space colonies floating in a vacuum may feel like burrows in the ground while the moon would shield the growth of plants as they would have no protection from raw sunlight that is unfiltered. Additionally, the space community that would be formed would not be able to have an outside view that would allow them to see their location in space (Andriessen & Colwell, 2000). As such, the colonies that would develop in the future might not be welcoming, which makes critiques to term the idea as fiction.

Further, ONeills technology is related to the intrinsic fragility of the space habitats which is another limitation to its application. From ONeill`s perspective, in the colonies, there would be no dangers such as terrorism due to the screening possibility at limited access facilities (Baxter, 2016). Therefore, it is suggested that carrying out a large-scale attack on the new habitats would be difficult. However, this idea is dismissed by Sterling (1985; cited in Baxter, 2016). Sterling (1985) maintains that true safety does not exist and there are numerous ways to kill a world including explosion, sabotage, fire or poison.

References

Andriessen, M., & Colwell, R. (2000). Space: physics HSC course, stage 6. Strathfield, N.S.W.: Learning Materials Production, Open Training and Education Network.

Besser, B. (2001). Contributions of Austrian pioneers to early European rocketry. 39th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit. doi:10.2514/6.2001-174

Cheng, D. C., & ONeill, G. K. (1979). Elementary particle physics: an introduction. London: Addison-Wesley.

Gruntman, M. (2004). Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and Rocketry. doi:10.2514/4.868733

Liepack, O. (2009). History of rocketry and astronautics: proceedings of the thirty-fourth History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000 ; IAA history symposia, volume 20. San Diego, CA: Univelt.

Baxter, S. (2016). Dreams and Nightmares of the High Frontier: The Response of Science Fiction to Gerard K. ONeills The High Frontier. In The Ethics of Space Exploration (pp. 15-30). Springer International Publishing.