>      http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/10/05/1240224

Referring back to the original article...
<http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast04oct_1.htm>
... there is no material in contact with the solar wind.

Distance from the sun:

How far an object is from the sun depends on its speed around the sun.  The
faster you go, the further from the sun.  The slower you go, the closer you
get.  When you are further from the sun, the distance around the sun is
longer and it takes more time to make one orbit.

Assuming Newtonian physics (because his math is easier than relativity,
i.e. Lorentz and Einstein):

A perfectly spherical M2P2 bubble will deflect the solar wind around the
vessel in a uniform manner. Using Newtons third law; as the magnetic bubble
pushes on the particles, the particles are pushing on the bubble. This will
push it directly out from the sun.  It will stop moving out from the sun
when the energy required to keep it at this distance (without change to the
orbital velocity) equals the amount of energy from the deflection of
particles.

The engineering required here is development an asymmetrical bubble. This
will allow for the deflection of the particles on one side of the craft to
be stronger than the other resulting in a shift (increase or decrease) in
the orbital velocity.  As this field is created on board the spacecraft, we
can just use a different set of solenoid/plasma ejectors to give us a
change in shape of the bubble.  (Anyone caught traveling that far from
Earth without a few redundant sets of field generating equipment is in need
of help.) We would be wise to take care when re-orienting our spacecraft
for orbital changes because the field is also needed to keep us safe.

neal
<www.minisoft.com>