Chapter 179: Aging stars

Before mastering the technology of elemental decay, whether it is the nuclear fusion currently used by Xiao Yu or the nuclear fission eliminated by Xiao Yu, there are quite strict requirements for fuel. For example, nuclear fusion requires that the fuel must be hydrogen. Nuclear fission The fuel must be heavy elements such as uranium and plutonium.
But elemental decay does not require this. Any element can be used as fuel, that is, even the lightest element, hydrogen, can be used as a fuel for element decay, but its efficiency is lower.
This means that in the long space voyage, when Xiao Yu lacked fuel, Xiao Yu could even dismantle the spacecraft directly and use its materials as fuel. Best of all, because of this characteristic of element decay, its fuel can be recycled. For example, one kilogram of iron has been decayed into five hundred grams of hydrogen. This five hundred grams of hydrogen can still be used as fuel. In this way, Xiao Yu can even convert the entire mass of matter into energy for his own use. .
In this way, the total efficiency of elemental decay is not much different from the efficiency of positive and negative material annihilation. It is just that the energy release process of oblique and antimatter annihilation is more violent, and the decay of elements is relatively gentle. In Xiao Yu's plan, the positive and negative material annihilation technology developed in the future will coexist with elemental decay technology. The positive and negative material annihilation will be mainly used for weapon manufacturing and some instruments that require more energy per unit time. Elemental decay technology , It is mainly used for conventional power.
These two different energy harvesting methods will coexist on Xiao Yu's spacecraft, each performing different tasks.
At this stage, Xiao Yu's development of elemental decay technology. It is still in the laboratory stage, but its technical content is lower than that of antimatter manufacturing. It is expected to achieve large-scale applications within hundreds of years.
At that time, the problem of insufficient power for super-light speed navigation will be solved. On the basis of elemental decay technology, Xiao Yu is expected to realize the long-awaited super-light speed navigation technology.
In the still universe, Xiao Yu's fleet sailed towards the aging star in the distance.
This star has fallen into the aging stage, and its mass is about 1.9 times that of the sun. Such a mass is not enough to support its supernova explosion. It will end its life in a more gentle way.
It has become a red giant. Due to the diffusion of the outer layer, its surface temperature begins to decrease, so it appears red. Its volume is very large, and its radius even reaches 60 million kilometers, which is dozens of times that of the sun. If placed in the position of the sun, it will directly devour Mercury. Approach Venus, turning Earth's surface into purgatory.
Xiao Yu knows that after billions of years, the sun will also be this frightening end.
In previous observations, Xiao Yu did not find any traces of the planets around this star, but Xiao Yu was not too worried. Because seeing does not mean that it exists. It is very likely that the planet is not visible because the star's luminosity is too strong, which obscures the existence of the planet. Besides, it doesn't matter if the planet does not exist, as long as there is an asteroid belt. Or a slightly decent asteroid, enough for Xiao Yu to use.
Any asteroid with a diameter of more than ten kilometers. All have masses of hundreds of billions of tons.
During the long journey, while Xiao Yu was conducting intense research, he was also closely observing the surrounding stars. Xiao Yu believes that the war between Taihao and the Sweeper civilization will at least be a stellar catastrophe, which will affect all existence around the battlefield. At that time, there are bound to be some unusual signs, such as the sudden explosion of a star, a sudden increase in brightness, X-rays of unknown origin, and bursts of gamma rays. Yu could also detect a trace of this war.
This piece of information has no effect on the current Xiao Yu, but after Xiao Yu's technology has developed to a certain degree, Xiao Yu will be able to use this information to analyze the true combat power of the sweeper civilization.
Time, slowly slipping away in the boundless silence.
After 150 years of sailing, and more than 300 years of real time, Xiao Yu reached the red giant star.
The distance now is nearly 30 billion kilometers.
Because the star has become older, its volume has expanded, and its star activity has become fierce, its star circle is much larger than the sun. Above this distance, it has entered the top of its heliosphere.
Here is the world of this aging star.
Xiao Yu's eyes are stars that are as bright as the full moon above the earth. If you look at the sun from this distance, the brightness of the sun will be a few thousand times dimmer than it is, probably only as bright as a star.
Xiao Yu has launched thousands of satellites, intending to explore the sphere of influence of this star. But the result of the investigation disappointed Xiao Yu.
"It ... it doesn't have any planets, not even the asteroid belt? How many asteroids?" Faced with this result, Xiao Yu felt quite inconceivable.
With the exploration of thousands of satellites, the star's sphere of influence was clearly visible in front of Xiao Yu. After a search, Xiao Yu not only failed to find a large planet, but also a few asteroids. Not to mention comets and the like, shadows are invisible.
Only a few asteroids were found that did not exceed ten meters in diameter, orbiting the star slowly.
"This is really incredible. Such a scenario is basically impossible on the stars inside the river system. Maybe ... because the material around the river system is already thin?"
Xiao Yu pondered slowly, slowly shrinking the distance from this star.
If possible, Xiao Yu is really reluctant to get too close to this aging and crazy star. But there is no way. Outside of this star, the nearest star is more than 200 light years away. At this moment, Xiao Yu's fuel is really not enough to support him to start such a long distance voyage.
Then, circling around this star became the only option. After all, around the star, there will always be some residual material, to no avail, and solar energy can be used. Without this star, there is really nothing left.
It was under such considerations that Xiao Yu made up his mind to stay around this star for a while. It is not too late to leave after mastering the element decay technology and the super-light speed navigation technology.
At that time, Xiao Yu will be able to obtain sufficient fuel by dismantling the spacecraft. A journey of several hundred light years will no longer be an insurmountable long distance for Xiao Yu.
"Material is really too thin. However, since stars can be formed, it proves that there was enough material here, and there can be no explanation for a large planet. There is even no asteroid. "Xiao Yu was slowly thinking.
"It should be formed inside the river system, and then thrown to this position during a long gravitational battle. It may be during a long journey that its planets or interstellar matter have been captured by the remaining stars . But this is still not enough to explain why its interstellar space matter is so thin. "
Xiao Yu was thinking, while approaching the star at a speed of about 100 kilometers per second.
At this speed, invisible interstellar dust constantly hits Xiao Yu's spacecraft, and a small amount of X-rays are emitted. At the same time, Xiao Yu has detected that his fleet is slowly slowing down.
After seeing this phenomenon, Xiao Yu suddenly realized.
"It turned out like this ... The stellar matter of this star was scattered, causing the entire star system to be filled with dense interstellar matter. Under constant impact, the orbital speed of the planets orbiting it will all Slowed down gradually, losing momentum, and then slowly approaching the star, eventually being swallowed by it ... "
"It turned out that the stars orbiting it were not captured by the rest of the stars, but were eaten by him ..."
"It's really unfortunate that you have eaten all the material and left nothing to me." Xiao Yu sighed in his heart.
In this stellar system, the concentration of interstellar dust is very high ~ EbookFREE.me ~ But this is only compared with the interstellar space. In fact, the space here can not be said to be a vacuum. It is basically impossible to rely on collecting interstellar dust to get enough material.
In other words, in the following period, except for stellar energy, Xiao Yu could not get the rest of the material.
"It's better than nothing. Let's calculate a little." Xiao Yu thought, slowly slowing down his speed until about 10 kilometers per second, and adjusted the orbit to orbit the star.
It's about two billion kilometers away from here. Here, its brightness is far more than the brightness of the sun. It looks like a huge fireball suspended in the dark space.
After entering the stable track, Xiao Yu started his work.
Xiao Yu first produced a batch of stellar energy collection instruments, doing his best to save his own fuel, and then took out the various parts of the large particle collider and rearranged it around this star for his own research. Use.
"This time, we must study the element decay technology and the super-light speed navigation technology." Xiao Yu secretly made up his mind.
At this moment, Xiao Yu suddenly received a message.
This message was still sent through a space broadcast. It entered Xiao Yu's mind and immediately translated into Xiao Yu's understandable language.
From this message, Xiao Yu noticed a little familiar meaning.
"Guardian civilization! I am a Tahoe civilization from the Large Magellanic Cloud. I am fighting your old enemies. Quickly come to the cantilever tail of the Milky Way Orion to help me!"