Is A Dyson Sphere Actually Possible?

[Kardashev]

Even if the material needed could be obtained and the engineering challenges overcome would the whole structure be so massive that it would collapse to a singularity under it's own gravity? In our own solar system it would need to be at least at the orbital distance of the earth that's a surface area of 1.09 x 10**17 square miles. Even at 1 mile thick that would be vastly greater than the mass of the sun. So the Chandrasekhar limit for a black hole would easily be breached.

[bookbinder]

For those who are unfamiliar with the term:
https://www.space.com/dyson-sphere.html

[davebro]

who knows?

[davebro]

I'll ask Slartibartfast at Magrathea if they can up their game!

[Mamyalynne]

Sci-Fi has led to some amazing concepts for many years, I doubt we shall ever know if it's possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Maker

[Kardashev]

mamy, well the dyson sphere is not really Sci Fi although the concept has been evident in some Sci Fi Shows, notably the STNG episode "Relics". It was proposed as an idea as a way a civilisation could reach Kardashev Type 2 status. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale#Type_I_civilization_methods

[Mamyalynne]

I wasn't saying it was sci-fi, just that Star Maker explored the idea and to a point gave the concept its name.

// Freeman Dyson was also a fan, admitting to basing his concept of Dyson spheres on a section of the book, even calling "Stapledon sphere" a better name for the idea. Among SF writers, Arthur C. Clarke has been most strongly influenced by Stapledon.//

[Kardashev]

Oh I see, sorry, wasn't familiar with the the Stapledon novel, yes it does look like that's where Dyson got the idea from. Just ordered the book from Amazon.

[douglas9401]

I can't begin to imagine the suction, let alone pushing it.

[Kardashev]

Doug I suspect Hoover would probably rip it off anyway!

[Atheist]

The sphere would be like a filmy bubble compared to the sun itself, and the sun doesn't collapse to a singularity under its own gravity.

[Kardashev]

The sun is not massive enough to collapse so a singularity. It will eventually collapse to a white dwarf but for now it is balanced by photonic pressure. A Dyson sphere would be very much more massive and would exceed the Chandrasekhar limit so some mechanism would need to be adopted to counter that or the whole system would become a black hole.

[Kardashev]

Note: When I say "massive" I am referring to the amount of mass present, not the size.

[brian j john]

i try to keep an open mind about it , i'll contemplate it tonight in bed