MOD NOTE: Far-Trader here. Frak, I am burned-out. Sorry about that, went to reply and accidentally edited your post. Managed to restore it below. This is by way of explanation why it shows an edit. Nothing wrong with the post. Carry on.
Kind of in followup to the velocity topic on the CT section.
As most everyone knows, there is a solid article about Jump in JTAS 24 written by Mark.
Rather than quoting the article chapter and verse, I'm going to summarize all of the points of "fact" that I think can be taken from this article about the nature of jump.
Simple facts taken out of the article, in no particular order :
+ As a rule, no one understands Jump space.
+ Gravity inhibits jump. If you try to ENTER jump within 100D, you will likely misjump, probably catastrophically. If you try to exit jump within 100D, you will not misjump, rather you will simply re-enter at the 100D border.
+ There are a multitude of "Jump Spaces". The time it takes to travel through jump depends on which Jump Space you enter. This is the 168hr +/- 10% rule. The time in Jump Space is basically a constant, however the amount of energy applied affects the distance you actually travel.
+ The arrival point of a jump destination is accurate to within 3000 Kms per parsec traveled. The precision of the drive and the computer involved primarily affects this number (so an "out of tune" drive can exacerbate this error).
+ The vector of the ship is maintained. The vector is based upon some universal frame of reference. So, since different systems are traveling through the universe at different rates, a ship at "velocity 0" relative to the system primary in System A will have velocity and heading X relative to the system primary in System B, with this being the differential between the two systems.
+ People notice jump transitions (they can feel it when they jump), people tend to get sicker during misjumps.
+ Jumps take a lot of energy. Fusion is typical simply because it's capable of efficiently creating the large amounts of power, but it's not the only possible source. Since the energy is stored in capacitors or some other device capable of fast discharge, anything that can adequately charge the device can be used for jump. It's the capacitor that causes the jump, not the fusion power plant.
+ A jump capable ship must have a network of wiring built in to the hull to maintain a "jump field" to protect the ship. Integrity issues with this jump field subjects the ship to jump space physics, and likely leads to a misjump. Other object in jump space tend to be destroyed.
+ A computer is necessary to properly feed the power in to and control the jump. This process is a precise procedure that requires something like the computer to manage the intricacies of the process.
+ Jump drives have Jump Coils made of lanthanum.
+ Operationally, the "jump procedure" include powering up the capacitors, which is noted as a particularly inefficient use of fuel as the power plant quickly charges the capacitors "in a few minutes". Once charged, the computer feeds the power in the capacitors to the drive. The drive then create a "hole in space", the ship "falls in to" the hole, and finally, the drive closes the hole behind the ship. The ship is now in jump space, and jump begins.
+ Once jumps begins, the duration of the flight is known. The duration is dependent upon which jump space is entered, the energy applied, and "other factors".
+ A ships jump destination can not be predicted.
So, those are basic axioms as presented in the article.
What can we infer from these?
One, is the affect of the 100D limit. Don't start jump within a 100D limit, but if you try to exit jump within a 100D limit, the nature of the system simply spits you out at the 100D limit. This implies limited "jump masking". Notably if you're within the 100D limit of a star, you can not jump, nor can you enter within the 100D limit of a star. However nothing here suggests that the 100D sphere around a body "blocks line of sight". There's nothing to suggest that you will be pulled out of jump by a rogue gravity well. Rather, only when you actually leave jump space does the 100D limit apply, not within jump space. So, if you want to jump to the other side of a star in the same system, the star can't stop you, it's not "in the way". You can't jump in or out of it within 100D, but once you're in, it's not yanking you out. You're in the wrong dimension.
Your vector is maintained. Basically, you can set up whatever vector you are traveling at, pick it up wholesale, and place it any place you want, and that vector is still with you when you exit jump. Systems and their bodies have their own vectors that you will need to be aware of, but if you care, you can plan around all of these.
Capacitors power jump drives, something else powers capacitors. Fusion and Solar Power were mentioned directly in the article, but it's clear that the capacitor is what feeds the drive, not the power plant directly. The implication is that power plants that need to create energy "quickly" are inefficient with fuel use, some of the fuel is used for cooling, some is used for cleaning. The entire jump process is combined from the power plant charging the capacitor to the capacitor firing the drive.
Nothing is said about the capacity of the capacitor, the power requirements of the drive (how much and how fast), nor the stability of the capacitors when charged. Why they are not charged during the trip to 100D, perhaps with a more efficient use of the power plant and thus using less fuel, is not explained. Perhaps the capacitors don't remain charged for very long. Perhaps they "leak", perhaps they're difficult to discharge once charged (save through activating the drive), who knows. But, for whatever reason, procedurally, capacitors are quickly charged and immediately discharged for jump. Why do they do that? Because everyone does that. They've always done that.
Ship destinations can't be predicted. Doesn't matter what direction they're pointing, you have no idea where they're going (if anywhere) when a ship jumps. You may see them "fall in to a hole". Whether that process causes a "flash" is not specified at all.
The sphere of uncertainty regarding actual destination (3000 Km per parsec) is based on tolerances of the drive and the process that feeds it (the computer). So, it's pretty easy to see how a "Scotty" quality engineer might be able to offer some control over that uncertainty if it were ever important. That said, a "Scotty" likely can't have his hand on a lever and operate a jump drive manually when the computer is on the fritz. It says it's a rather precise and detailed process requiring a computer. Spock, on the other hand...
Duration of jump is unknown until you're actually in jump space. Whether several ships can coordinate to perhaps enter the same jump space at the same time (to control arrival times) is not specified. But with a single ship, you simply don't know until you've crossed the threshold. Once the door closes, you know.
There is some kind of jump grid built in to the hull to maintain a jump field. This does not address something like a dispersed structure carrier with riders, but it suggests that the riders, while themselves not jump capable, should have a similar grid installed in their hulls that can mate or "plug in" with the carriers, since they would likely be subjected to jump space directly and will need the protection of the jump field.
There is no mention of how volume has any impact whatsoever on jump. Apparently its all about energy, but I guess that larger volumes simply need more energy.
You likely can not "hide" the fact that you jumped from a conscious passenger. Unless they have never experienced jump before, that prisoner locked in the brig will notice when it happens.
So, that's what I get from this article. It's from 1985, giving them plenty of time to thing things through as to how the process works. Hopefully it will answer others questions as well.
Kind of in followup to the velocity topic on the CT section.
As most everyone knows, there is a solid article about Jump in JTAS 24 written by Mark.
Rather than quoting the article chapter and verse, I'm going to summarize all of the points of "fact" that I think can be taken from this article about the nature of jump.
Simple facts taken out of the article, in no particular order :
+ As a rule, no one understands Jump space.
+ Gravity inhibits jump. If you try to ENTER jump within 100D, you will likely misjump, probably catastrophically. If you try to exit jump within 100D, you will not misjump, rather you will simply re-enter at the 100D border.
+ There are a multitude of "Jump Spaces". The time it takes to travel through jump depends on which Jump Space you enter. This is the 168hr +/- 10% rule. The time in Jump Space is basically a constant, however the amount of energy applied affects the distance you actually travel.
+ The arrival point of a jump destination is accurate to within 3000 Kms per parsec traveled. The precision of the drive and the computer involved primarily affects this number (so an "out of tune" drive can exacerbate this error).
+ The vector of the ship is maintained. The vector is based upon some universal frame of reference. So, since different systems are traveling through the universe at different rates, a ship at "velocity 0" relative to the system primary in System A will have velocity and heading X relative to the system primary in System B, with this being the differential between the two systems.
+ People notice jump transitions (they can feel it when they jump), people tend to get sicker during misjumps.
+ Jumps take a lot of energy. Fusion is typical simply because it's capable of efficiently creating the large amounts of power, but it's not the only possible source. Since the energy is stored in capacitors or some other device capable of fast discharge, anything that can adequately charge the device can be used for jump. It's the capacitor that causes the jump, not the fusion power plant.
+ A jump capable ship must have a network of wiring built in to the hull to maintain a "jump field" to protect the ship. Integrity issues with this jump field subjects the ship to jump space physics, and likely leads to a misjump. Other object in jump space tend to be destroyed.
+ A computer is necessary to properly feed the power in to and control the jump. This process is a precise procedure that requires something like the computer to manage the intricacies of the process.
+ Jump drives have Jump Coils made of lanthanum.
+ Operationally, the "jump procedure" include powering up the capacitors, which is noted as a particularly inefficient use of fuel as the power plant quickly charges the capacitors "in a few minutes". Once charged, the computer feeds the power in the capacitors to the drive. The drive then create a "hole in space", the ship "falls in to" the hole, and finally, the drive closes the hole behind the ship. The ship is now in jump space, and jump begins.
+ Once jumps begins, the duration of the flight is known. The duration is dependent upon which jump space is entered, the energy applied, and "other factors".
+ A ships jump destination can not be predicted.
So, those are basic axioms as presented in the article.
What can we infer from these?
One, is the affect of the 100D limit. Don't start jump within a 100D limit, but if you try to exit jump within a 100D limit, the nature of the system simply spits you out at the 100D limit. This implies limited "jump masking". Notably if you're within the 100D limit of a star, you can not jump, nor can you enter within the 100D limit of a star. However nothing here suggests that the 100D sphere around a body "blocks line of sight". There's nothing to suggest that you will be pulled out of jump by a rogue gravity well. Rather, only when you actually leave jump space does the 100D limit apply, not within jump space. So, if you want to jump to the other side of a star in the same system, the star can't stop you, it's not "in the way". You can't jump in or out of it within 100D, but once you're in, it's not yanking you out. You're in the wrong dimension.
Your vector is maintained. Basically, you can set up whatever vector you are traveling at, pick it up wholesale, and place it any place you want, and that vector is still with you when you exit jump. Systems and their bodies have their own vectors that you will need to be aware of, but if you care, you can plan around all of these.
Capacitors power jump drives, something else powers capacitors. Fusion and Solar Power were mentioned directly in the article, but it's clear that the capacitor is what feeds the drive, not the power plant directly. The implication is that power plants that need to create energy "quickly" are inefficient with fuel use, some of the fuel is used for cooling, some is used for cleaning. The entire jump process is combined from the power plant charging the capacitor to the capacitor firing the drive.
Nothing is said about the capacity of the capacitor, the power requirements of the drive (how much and how fast), nor the stability of the capacitors when charged. Why they are not charged during the trip to 100D, perhaps with a more efficient use of the power plant and thus using less fuel, is not explained. Perhaps the capacitors don't remain charged for very long. Perhaps they "leak", perhaps they're difficult to discharge once charged (save through activating the drive), who knows. But, for whatever reason, procedurally, capacitors are quickly charged and immediately discharged for jump. Why do they do that? Because everyone does that. They've always done that.
Ship destinations can't be predicted. Doesn't matter what direction they're pointing, you have no idea where they're going (if anywhere) when a ship jumps. You may see them "fall in to a hole". Whether that process causes a "flash" is not specified at all.
The sphere of uncertainty regarding actual destination (3000 Km per parsec) is based on tolerances of the drive and the process that feeds it (the computer). So, it's pretty easy to see how a "Scotty" quality engineer might be able to offer some control over that uncertainty if it were ever important. That said, a "Scotty" likely can't have his hand on a lever and operate a jump drive manually when the computer is on the fritz. It says it's a rather precise and detailed process requiring a computer. Spock, on the other hand...
Duration of jump is unknown until you're actually in jump space. Whether several ships can coordinate to perhaps enter the same jump space at the same time (to control arrival times) is not specified. But with a single ship, you simply don't know until you've crossed the threshold. Once the door closes, you know.
There is some kind of jump grid built in to the hull to maintain a jump field. This does not address something like a dispersed structure carrier with riders, but it suggests that the riders, while themselves not jump capable, should have a similar grid installed in their hulls that can mate or "plug in" with the carriers, since they would likely be subjected to jump space directly and will need the protection of the jump field.
There is no mention of how volume has any impact whatsoever on jump. Apparently its all about energy, but I guess that larger volumes simply need more energy.
You likely can not "hide" the fact that you jumped from a conscious passenger. Unless they have never experienced jump before, that prisoner locked in the brig will notice when it happens.
So, that's what I get from this article. It's from 1985, giving them plenty of time to thing things through as to how the process works. Hopefully it will answer others questions as well.
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. But then, I discard the 100D definition and use local gravitational field strength instead.
