Can a Vibrating, Charged Block in Deep Space Produce Radio Waves?

[GENIERE]

My questions follow this short preface re: attached photos.

Sometime ago in the mid 1960's, a friend had access to a linear accelerator. In the very late evening, we irradiated several plastic blocks of the dimensions ~10x10x2 cm. Individually, the plastic blocks were in a10 MeV electron beam (intensity forgotten) for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, using a grounded Phillips screwdriver and small hammer, the blocks were struck on the edge such that the accumulated static charge was violently discharged to ground. The tree-shaped discharge path through the plastic is evident in the first photo. The second edge-on photo shows the discharge exit point and that the “tree” is confined to the interior of the plastic block but is three-dimensional.

I “found” the block in my old roll-top desk and something caused me wonder what would be the consequence of placing the charged plastic block in deep space and mechanically vibrating it.

- Would the block produce radio waves?
- Would a suitable antenna receive the waves?
- If the receiving antenna were vibrated in same manner and synchronized to compensate for propagation delay, would reception cease?

Thanks for your replies.

 

[pallidin]

My take on this:

- Yes
- Yes
- No

 

[astrokreng]

I find your experiment with the charged plastic blocks in the linear accelerator very interesting. It is not uncommon for charged particles to accumulate on surfaces when exposed to high energy particle beams, and the tree-shaped discharge pattern in the photos is a common phenomenon.

Regarding your questions about placing the charged block in deep space and mechanically vibrating it, there are a few factors that need to be considered. First, the block would need to be in a vacuum in order to maintain its charge, as any particles in the surrounding environment would neutralize the charge. Second, the block would need to be vibrating at a high frequency in order to produce radio waves, as the frequency of the waves is directly related to the frequency of the vibrating object.

In theory, the vibrating charged block could produce radio waves, but it would depend on the frequency and strength of the vibrations. A suitable antenna could potentially receive these waves, but it would also depend on the sensitivity and frequency range of the antenna.

If the receiving antenna were also vibrating in the same manner and synchronized to compensate for propagation delay, it is possible that reception may cease. However, this would also depend on the distance between the two objects and any potential interference from other sources. Further experimentation and analysis would be needed to determine the exact effects of vibrating a charged block in deep space.

Thank you for sharing your experiment and posing these interesting questions. It is always exciting to think about the potential applications and consequences of scientific phenomena.