Emu: Difference between revisions
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== Etymology == | == Etymology == | ||
The name derives from the fact that they are flightless (incapable of emitting gliders). This term was coined by [[ | The name derives from the fact that they are flightless (incapable of emitting gliders). This term was coined by [[Dietrich Leithner]]. | ||
== Emus as reflectors == | == Emus as reflectors == | ||
Revision as of 00:59, 3 May 2010
An emu is a Herschel loop, which does not emit gliders. Emus can be constructed for period 54 onwards (the first few are oscillator-assisted), but Herschel-based glider guns only exist for periods 54, 55, 56, 59, 60 and 62+. For the remaining periods, 57, 58 and 61, there are no known glider guns. Nevertheless, emus have been constructed for these periods.
Etymology
The name derives from the fact that they are flightless (incapable of emitting gliders). This term was coined by Dietrich Leithner.
Emus as reflectors
Emus can be used to reflect gliders in an infinite variety of ways. Adam P. Goucher (with help from Jason Summers) exploited this property to construct the first period-59 gun. Unfortunately, that method does not generalise to the remaining emu-only periods, since it uses a special p59+15n reaction based on David Buckingham's p44 oscillator.