Nicoll-Dyson beam

Nicoll-Dyson beam

Nicoll-Dyson beam is one of the most destructive things, that mankind has ever invented. But it's more than just the equipment of destruction, it can give many other opportunities than just destruction. It can be used to adjust the temperature on some planets, or deliver energy even from other solar systems. 

1) How to adjust the temperature in some planets, what is too far, that liquid water could exist on their surface. 

The system that can adjust the temperature on some planet can be made by using giant parabolic mirrors, which is orbiting the central star. Those mirrors would aim the energy from the star to the planets, which are otherwise too cold for habitable.

When we are thinking about the Nicoll-Dyson beam, we must realize, that there is one thing, what this kind of system can make, and that is that the temperatures of the planets can adjust by targeting them by using giant mirrors. That thing allows making the cold planets suitable for lifeforms, which are similar to what we are. 

2) What if we would create the parabolic mirror, what is larger than the star?

Another idea for a megastructure is called the Nicoll-Dyson beam, which is one of the most interesting and devastating things, that mankind has ever created. This system is a giant parabolic-shaped mirror, which would be larger than the star. The mirror would aim the entire radiation of the star to one point, and if there is a laser at that point, the system can send the laser beam, which power would be trillions of nuclear weapons in second. 

The idea of the Nicoll-Dyson sphere is coming from one of the forgotten ideas to aim the energy of nuclear weapons. The idea was to make the nuclear explosion in front of the parabolic mirror. That mirror should aim the energy of nuclear weapons in one direction. And that thing should give the system a very large effect. 

But when we are thinking the Nicoll-Dyson beam closer we can see that the system can be done by using the large group of satellites, that are equipped with mirrors, what can aim to one point, and that thing makes possible to create very powerful beam by using the modular mirror-system. That means the hypothetical maker of that kind of system would use billions of mirror-satellites to make the same things, what the one single mirror is using.  

And the thing, what makes this kind of thing dangerous is that the Nicoll-Dyson beam can operate backward. In this version, the mirrors, what is outside from the planet's orbiter would aim the radiation back to the direction of the center star, and there would be the relay mirror, which will send the radiation to the planet. That thing can cause many devastating things like burn the cities on that planet. 

3) But there are some other ways to use the Nicoll-Dyson beam than just destruction. 

The power of the radiation can be used to deliver the energy even to the other solar systems. And also it can make the planets habitable even they are orbiting brown dwarfs, which is too cold for habitable. It can be used also giving the punch to the solar sails, what is far away from the home planet, and also for the communication between the stars. And this has been brought one of the most frightening visions in the front of the people, what if we are sending the message to another civilization and accidentally ask them to change the laser-based communication. 

Then the energy beam of some other solar system can start to travel to Earth, which might cause a huge explosion and end of our civilization. The thing is that when we are making SETI-research, we often forget, that what if the receivers of those messages are thinking that we are more advanced than we are, and then send the high-power energy radiation to us and think that we could take that data, and benefit that in the advantage of our civilization.