Is this is technically feasible method of getting a probe to Proxima Centauri?

Set up a particle accelerator in space, perhaps on the Moon. Use it to fire a beam of particles (neutrons?) towards Proxima Centauri at close to the speed of light. Place the probe (which might only weigh about as much as a golf ball) in the beam. The collision of the beam particles with the probe gradually accelerates the probe to close to the speed of light, and the probe rapidly covers the distance to Proxima Centauri, taking four or five years to get there.





The probe would be able to steer itself into the beam, if it found that it had parted company with the beam.





This project would obviously be highly expensive, but would it be technically feasible? Could the technical difficulties be overcome?|||Cool idea but its not the way forward (no pun intended) WE have to og and come back, and instead of wasting time sending probes then waiting another 30 years...we should send a manned craft... just float it into space and get as much feedback as poss. A condemned man maybe or two (for company).... we know they wont come back but at least they would be free... and we can monitor the effects|||Why not put the particle accelerator on the probe? No problems with keeping in the beam - and you have something to slow you down with.|||Maybe....|||One problem - is there going to be a neutrino beam at the other end to slow it down?





Also we dont have a way to fire neutrinos and if they did it wouldnt do much because neutrinos interact so weakly with matter. Nice idea but you might need to go back to the drawing board.|||Well, it's theoretically possible. But, it would rely on making a probe out of Indesctructium... making the probe out of any real material would result in it being vaporized by the enormous energy of the neutron beam.





Plus, once the probe got to proxima centauri, it would spend maybe an hour in the vicinity of the star... as it has nothing to slow it down again.





So, basically.... not technically feasible. Interesting idea though.|||How would it know when to stop ?|||your idea does not start off very well, because (1) you cannot accelerate neutrons since they're not charged (accelerators that produce neutrons do so by accelerating protons and shooting them at a target such that they are absorbed by nuclei which then re-emit neutrons after some nuclear process), and (2) neutrons interact weakly with matter since they're not charged.





but even supposing you had protons, it would be highly complex - source of protons, focussing of beam, etc.








a much cheaper idea would be to simply set a solar sail on your probe, this could potentially accelerate it to high speeds. Not to the point of reaching Proxima Centauri in 4 to 5 years, but maybe "just" 50 to 100 years, which wouldn't be so bad.





in theory we could build this today. Too bad so little R%26amp;D money goes to solar sails.





(following your comment) I repeat, why bother to build a huge accelerator, when you alread have photons out there, for free, that could do the job? It's a bit as if Columbus came to see you and said he thought he could go to the Indies using the wind to fill his sails, and you insisted on building a huge wind-making machine on shore ;-)|||The real question is "Why would you want to send a golf ball to Proxima Centauri and have it just wiz past at near the speed of light?|||In theory it would work, but in practice the problem is keeping a beam of particles collimated for that distance.|||I believe there is a space time rupture under your bed. Climb into it and say Proxima Centuri 5 times. You'll be there in 20 seconds at most. Don't drink the water when you're there! Hope this helps?