> On May 23, 2016, at 2:25 AM, (via tml list) <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:
>
> That's gonna cause major changes in the curvature of space-time
> sending out "ripples". Some of that could easily come out as EM
> radiation (there should be some distinctive gravity waves as well).

If you can detect gravity waves that small, There Is No Hiding Anywhere.

Any movement by that mass will cause similar magnitude gravity waves, and THAT means, with the appropriate sensor design and software, so long as something has mass in your system, you can see it.

Now you can possibly hide ‘behind’ larger masses, but that’s simple to ameliorate, just set up three widely separated sensor stations.

Boom: pretty much real(-ish, subject to lightspeed lag like any other sensor) time 3D map of everything above the size of..well, if you can see the jump flash of a 200T scout, just about everything in the system above about 30-40 metric tons.

Sensitive gravity wave detection like that REALLY makes a difference in the TU.  For one it makes invasion from outside the system pretty much impossible to pull off without staggeringly overwhelming force. Ships entering the system can be pinpointed and roughly identified much more quickly than they can maneuver in to be a threat, and you get closer and closer to real time detection the closer they get. You’ll certainly narrow their approach vector range before they get into firing range.

Then you have to start doing seriously scary navigation tricks like trying to simultaneously jump your fleet in right up at the 100 diameter limit, or jumping into the  far oort cloud then micro-jumping (if YTU allows that) to the target world.

Then the sensors just see a bunch of ships pop in, then leave quickly. If there are hostilities expected, that puts all hands on high alert a week later.

--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs