I have posted on several forums about using LEDs to mimic sunlight on the generation ship. I basically got 2 responses depending on the forum. 1 response was to not focus on it unless necessary and this was from forums related to writing. Another response was "Come on, that is too simple for a civilization that has mastered artificial gravity. Quantum mechanics is better." and this was from forums about science.
But here is my reasoning on why I would use IR, Visible, and UV LEDs and not a quantum mechanical light source.
A wavelength in any part of the EM spectrum could come from a quantum mechanical light source. Radio waves and microwaves would just be a waste of energy that could be used for more infrared, visible, and ultraviolet.
UVC, X rays, and Gamma rays would be even more wasted energy but also dangerous.
Yes, 10-15 minutes of UVB exposure can produce up to 20,000 IU of vitamin D from cholesterol in your skin. And yes UVB and UVA both carry a risk of sunburn and skin cancer with UVB having a higher risk of sunburn and UVA having a higher risk of skin cancer.
UVC exposure has a maximum time of 8 hours before it is deemed unsafe due to skin and eye injuries. And this is for people who know how to use UVC as a disinfectant. For the average person, maximum safe UVC exposure is much less than that. UVC can cause rapid sunburn, skin cancer, and temporary or permanent blindness.
X rays as background radiation or as a plain X ray have a 1 in 1,000,000 lifetime cancer risk. But X rays produced from a quantum mechanical light source would have a lifetime cancer risk closer to that of a CT scan of 1 in 1,000.
Gamma rays are the worst of all. A bit ironically, high dose gamma ray exposure is easier for the human body to repair than low dose gamma ray exposure. But gamma rays, because they are so energetic, not only have a high risk of giving you cancer but they also have a risk of radiation poisoning.
Clearly radiation poisoning and cancer are 2 things you would want to try and avoid during space travel but radiation poisoning especially so. Even if you were to limit the amount of time that UV light is produced, it is inevitable that some fraction of the population is going to get cancer. But with sufficient technology and limitations on the wavelength of photons produced, radiation poisoning is avoidable.
But how could you limit the wavelength of photons produced to be in either infrared, visible light, UVA, or UVB? The easiest way to do this is to use LEDs. I don't see how using quantum mechanics in a way that limits the possible wavelengths to infrared, visible, UVA, and UVB is feasible
But here is my reasoning on why I would use IR, Visible, and UV LEDs and not a quantum mechanical light source.
A wavelength in any part of the EM spectrum could come from a quantum mechanical light source. Radio waves and microwaves would just be a waste of energy that could be used for more infrared, visible, and ultraviolet.
UVC, X rays, and Gamma rays would be even more wasted energy but also dangerous.
Yes, 10-15 minutes of UVB exposure can produce up to 20,000 IU of vitamin D from cholesterol in your skin. And yes UVB and UVA both carry a risk of sunburn and skin cancer with UVB having a higher risk of sunburn and UVA having a higher risk of skin cancer.
UVC exposure has a maximum time of 8 hours before it is deemed unsafe due to skin and eye injuries. And this is for people who know how to use UVC as a disinfectant. For the average person, maximum safe UVC exposure is much less than that. UVC can cause rapid sunburn, skin cancer, and temporary or permanent blindness.
X rays as background radiation or as a plain X ray have a 1 in 1,000,000 lifetime cancer risk. But X rays produced from a quantum mechanical light source would have a lifetime cancer risk closer to that of a CT scan of 1 in 1,000.
Gamma rays are the worst of all. A bit ironically, high dose gamma ray exposure is easier for the human body to repair than low dose gamma ray exposure. But gamma rays, because they are so energetic, not only have a high risk of giving you cancer but they also have a risk of radiation poisoning.
Clearly radiation poisoning and cancer are 2 things you would want to try and avoid during space travel but radiation poisoning especially so. Even if you were to limit the amount of time that UV light is produced, it is inevitable that some fraction of the population is going to get cancer. But with sufficient technology and limitations on the wavelength of photons produced, radiation poisoning is avoidable.
But how could you limit the wavelength of photons produced to be in either infrared, visible light, UVA, or UVB? The easiest way to do this is to use LEDs. I don't see how using quantum mechanics in a way that limits the possible wavelengths to infrared, visible, UVA, and UVB is feasible