Topopolis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A topopolis is a proposed tube-shaped space habitat, rotating to produce artificial gravity via centrifugal force on the inner surface, which is extended into a loop around the local planet or star. The concept was invented by writer Patrick Gunkel.
A topopolis has been compared to an O'Neill cylinder, or a McKendree cylinder, that has been extended in length so that it encircles a star. A "normal" topopolis would be hundreds of millions of miles/kilometers long and at least several miles (kilometers) in diameter.
Topopoles can be looped several times around the local star, in a geometric figure known as a torus knot. Topopolises are also called cosmic spaghetti.
A topopolis with big enough diameter could theoretically have multiple levels of concentric cylinders.
Larry Niven (1974) mentioned the idea in a much-reprinted magazine article "Bigger Than Worlds".[1]
Paul Birch referred to this design as the "macaroni habitat". He suggested that, aside from looping around a star, it could instead extend between one star and another, resulting in a habitable area about 100 million times that of the Earth.[2]
