Ok, this is a complex set of questions.
Let's say that you're in orbit around Jupiter, riding one of the Galilean satellites. Then you build a space elevator there, which is roughly a gigantic rod protuding from the moon surface... as it spans across Jupiter's magnetosphere, it will behave as a gigantic antenna... am I right?
Then, this antenna will gather a huge electrical charge as the atoms in it are excited by Jupiter's magnetosphere... right?
And the final question is, would this charge, gathered by the space elevator/antenna, be enough to use the space elevator complex as a power source? Any clue on how to calculate the power output?
I repeat my questions...
- Is it right to think that a space elevator on a Galilean satlelite of Jupiter could behave as an antenna?
- Is it true that it could gather a massive electric charge?
- Could this charge be used as a power source? (where the antenna would play an anode and the moon a cathode)
- How can be estimated the power output of such power source?