Another option. This pair became more promising the more I investigated it. The tracks are simple, no vertical or phase offset, just 19 cells horizontally. If the climbers are in the same phase or if the left climber is 4 generations delayed, the debris is a TL+blinker constellation. If the right climber is 4 generations delayed, the debris is a longboat + NE glider. All other options destroy either the right track or the right climber, so we only have these 3. I'll refer to them as A, B, and C, from left to right.
Code: Select all
x = 380, y = 168, rule = B3/S23
70bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo$70b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o123b2o17b
2o$71bo18bo124bo18bo124bo18bo43$51bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo
$51b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o$52bo18bo124bo18bo124bo18bo43$32bobo
16bobo122bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo$32b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o$33bo
18bo124bo18bo124bo18bo43$13bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo122bobo16bobo$13b2o
17b2o123b2o17b2o123b2o17b2o$14bo18bo124bo18bo124bo18bo23$21b3o122b3o
16b3o122b3o$22bo124bo18bo124bo$b3o18b3o122b3o16b3o122b3o14b3o$o3bo302b
o3bo2$5bo306bo$5o302b5o$bo306bo!
Some neat constructions that may hint at universality:
C, C with high spacing has no interference, the second forerake passes through the longboats.
Code: Select all
x = 125, y = 268, rule = B3/S23
104bo18bo$103bo18bo$103b3o16b3o43$85bo18bo$84bo18bo$84b3o16b3o43$66bo
18bo$65bo18bo$65b3o16b3o43$47bo18bo$46bo18bo$46b3o16b3o43$28bo18bo$27b
o18bo$27b3o16b3o4$29b3o$28bo2bo$27bo4bo15bo$29bo17b3o$46bo2bo$30b2o13b
3o2b2o$29bobo14bo2b3o$29bobo15b2o2b2o$50b3o$35bo11b4obo$33bo13b2o2b2o$
33b2o15b2o3$24bo18bo$23bo18bo$23b3o16b3o43$5bo18bo$4bo18bo$4b3o16b3o4$
6b3o$5bo2bo$4bo4bo15bo$6bo17b3o$23bo2bo$7b2o13b3o2b2o$6bobo14bo2b3o$6b
obo15b2o2b2o$27b3o$12bo11b4obo$10bo13b2o2b2o$10b2o15b2o3$bo18bo$o18bo$
3o16b3o!
C, C, C with high spacing causes the third rake to cleanly delete the longboat left by the first. This means an infinite chain of well-spaced Cs will consist of two forerakes and no other debris.
Code: Select all
x = 284, y = 532, rule = B3/S23
192bo18bo$191bo18bo$191b3o16b3o43$173bo18bo$172bo18bo$172b3o16b3o43$
154bo18bo$153bo18bo$153b3o16b3o4$155b3o$154bo2bo$153bo4bo15bo$155bo17b
3o$172bo2bo$156b2o13b3o2b2o$155bobo14bo2b3o$155bobo15b2o2b2o$176b3o$
161bo11b4obo$159bo13b2o2b2o$159b2o15b2o3$150bo18bo$149bo18bo$149b3o16b
3o9$181bo$180bobo$181bobo$145bo36bobo$144bo36bo3bo$146bo33bo4bo$144b3o
33bo3bo$146bobo22bo8bo2b2o$146b2ob2o20bo9b3o$145bo5bo19bo10bo$146bo3bo
$147b3o$148bo21$179b3o$131bo18bo16bo7b2ob2o2bo$130bo18bo16bo5b2obobo4b
o$130b3o16b3o15b2o3b2obo$168bo3bo8bo$173bo7bo$172bo5bob2o$132b3o38bobo
2bobo$131bo2bo39bo4b2o$130bo4bo15bo26bobo15b3o$132bo17b3o25b2o18bo$
149bo2bo44bo$133b2o13b3o2b2o$132bobo14bo2b3o$132bobo15b2o2b2o$153b3o$
138bo11b4obo$136bo13b2o2b2o$136b2o15b2o58b3o$215bo$214bo$127bo18bo$
126bo18bo$126b3o16b3o4$230b3o$232bo$231bo3$158bo$157bobo18bo$158bobo
16bobo$122bo36bobo16bobo$121bo36bo3bo16b2o66b3o$123bo33bo4bo86bo$121b
3o33bo3bo86bo$123bobo22bo8bo2b2o$123b2ob2o20bo9b3o$122bo5bo19bo10bo$
123bo3bo$124b3o$125bo$264b3o$266bo$265bo7$281b3o$283bo$282bo4$177bo$
176bobo$177bobo$178b2o2$156b3o$108bo18bo16bo7b2ob2o2bo$107bo18bo16bo5b
2obobo4bo$107b3o16b3o15b2o3b2obo$145bo3bo8bo$150bo7bo$149bo5bob2o$109b
3o38bobo2bobo$108bo2bo39bo4b2o$107bo4bo15bo26bobo15b3o$109bo17b3o25b2o
18bo$126bo2bo44bo$110b2o13b3o2b2o$109bobo14bo2b3o$109bobo15b2o2b2o$
130b3o$115bo11b4obo$113bo13b2o2b2o$113b2o15b2o58b3o$192bo$191bo$104bo
18bo$103bo18bo53bo$103b3o16b3o50bobo$176bobo$177b2o2$207b3o$209bo$208b
o3$135bo$134bobo18bo$135bobo16bobo$99bo36bobo16bobo$98bo36bo3bo16b2o
66b3o$100bo33bo4bo86bo$98b3o33bo3bo86bo$100bobo22bo8bo2b2o$100b2ob2o
20bo9b3o$99bo5bo19bo10bo$100bo3bo$101b3o$102bo$241b3o$243bo$242bo2$
175bo$174bobo$175bobo$176b2o2$258b3o$260bo$259bo4$154bo$153bobo$154bob
o$155b2o2$133b3o$85bo18bo16bo7b2ob2o2bo$84bo18bo16bo5b2obobo4bo$84b3o
16b3o15b2o3b2obo$122bo3bo8bo$127bo7bo$126bo5bob2o$86b3o38bobo2bobo$85b
o2bo39bo4b2o$84bo4bo15bo26bobo15b3o$86bo17b3o25b2o18bo$103bo2bo44bo22b
o$87b2o13b3o2b2o64bobo$86bobo14bo2b3o65bobo$86bobo15b2o2b2o65b2o$107b
3o$92bo11b4obo$90bo13b2o2b2o$90b2o15b2o58b3o$169bo$168bo$81bo18bo$80bo
18bo53bo$80b3o16b3o50bobo$153bobo$154b2o7$112bo$111bobo18bo$112bobo16b
obo$76bo36bobo16bobo$75bo36bo3bo16b2o$77bo33bo4bo$75b3o33bo3bo$77bobo
22bo8bo2b2o$77b2ob2o20bo9b3o$76bo5bo19bo10bo$77bo3bo$78b3o$79bo5$152bo
$151bobo$152bobo$153b2o8$131bo$130bobo$131bobo$132b2o2$110b3o$62bo18bo
16bo7b2ob2o2bo$61bo18bo16bo5b2obobo4bo$61b3o16b3o15b2o3b2obo$99bo3bo8b
o$104bo7bo$103bo5bob2o$63b3o38bobo2bobo$62bo2bo39bo4b2o$61bo4bo15bo26b
obo15b3o$63bo17b3o25b2o18bo$80bo2bo44bo22bo$64b2o13b3o2b2o64bobo$63bob
o14bo2b3o65bobo$63bobo15b2o2b2o65b2o$84b3o$69bo11b4obo$67bo13b2o2b2o$
67b2o15b2o58b3o$146bo$145bo$58bo18bo$57bo18bo53bo$57b3o16b3o50bobo$
130bobo$131b2o7$89bo$88bobo18bo$89bobo16bobo$53bo36bobo16bobo$52bo36bo
3bo16b2o$54bo33bo4bo$52b3o33bo3bo$54bobo22bo8bo2b2o$54b2ob2o20bo9b3o$
53bo5bo19bo10bo$54bo3bo$55b3o$56bo5$129bo$128bobo$129bobo$130b2o8$108b
o$107bobo$108bobo$109b2o2$87b3o$39bo18bo16bo7b2ob2o2bo$38bo18bo16bo5b
2obobo4bo$38b3o16b3o15b2o3b2obo$76bo3bo8bo$81bo7bo$80bo5bob2o$81bobo2b
obo$82bo4b2o$86bobo15b3o$86b2o18bo$105bo22bo$127bobo$128bobo$129b2o4$
121b3o$123bo$122bo2$107bo$106bobo$107bobo$108b2o8$86bo$85bobo$86bobo$
87b2o10$20bo18bo$19bo18bo$19b3o16b3o$106bo$105bobo$106bobo$107b2o8$85b
o$84bobo$85bobo$86b2o13$105bo$104bobo$105bobo$106b2o8$84bo$83bobo$84bo
bo$85b2o$bo18bo$o18bo$3o16b3o10$104bo$103bobo$104bobo$105b2o8$83bo$82b
obo$83bobo$84b2o!
C, C with a lower spacing can cause sparks to interfere, preventing the longboats and second rake from forming. The debris is instead a boat+blinker+block constellation.
Code: Select all
x = 190, y = 269, rule = B3/S23
105bo18bo$103b2o17b2o$104b2o17b2o43$86bo18bo$84b2o17b2o$85b2o17b2o43$
67bo18bo$65b2o17b2o$66b2o17b2o43$48bo18bo$46b2o17b2o$47b2o17b2o10$46b
3o$45bo2bo$45bo4bo$44b2ob2obo13b3o$44b2obo2bo12bo2bo$46b4o13b2o2bo$47b
3o16b2o2$44bo18bo$42b2o17b2o$43b2o17b2o12$73b2o$72bo$71bo2bo$35bo4bob
2o27bo$34bo2bo2bo4b2o25bob4o$35bo2bo6b2o7bo18bob3o$36bo4bo12bo$38bo2bo
19b3o$39b2o12$29bo$28b3o$27bo2b2o$27bo3bo15bo$29bobo14b3o$45bo2b2o$26b
2ob2o14b3o$28bo2$73b2o$35bo10bo26b2o$34b3o8bobo16b2o$33b5o7bobo15b2o2b
3obo$32bo5bo14bo6b2obo3b3ob2o$31b2o2bo2b2o12b3o5bo9bo2bo$30b3obobob3o
10b5o5bo10bo$31b2o2bo2b2o10b2o3b2o5bobo$32bo5bo12b5o6bob2o$33b5o14b3o
9bo3bobo$34bo2bo15bo14bo2bo$37bo30bo2bo$34bo2bo32bo$35b2o16b2o$53b2o
30b2o$86b2o$85bo6$21bo18bo$19b2o17b2o62b2o$20b2o17b2o62b2o$102bo3$49bo
$48b3o$46b2obobo15bo$46b3o17bob2ob2o$45b4o3bo14b4o2bo45b2o$44bo2b2obo
20b2o47b2o$43b3ob3o69bo$36b2o9bo5b2o$36b2o15b2o5$136b2o$137b2o$136bo7$
153b2o$46b2o106b2o$46b2o105bo6$41bo$41bo128b2o$41bo129b2o$170bo3$50bo$
49bobo$49b2o$2bo18bo$2o17b2o166b2o$b2o17b2o166b2o$187bo!
C, A and C, B with proper spacing can prevent the TL + blinker from forming, leaving just the debris from C.
Code: Select all
x = 133, y = 314, rule = B3/S23
112bo18bo$111bo18bo$111b3o16b3o43$93bo18bo$92bo18bo$92b3o16b3o43$74bo
18bo$73bo18bo$73b3o16b3o43$55bo18bo$54bo18bo$54b3o16b3o43$36bo18bo$35b
o18bo$35b3o16b3o17$28bo$26b6o$26b2o2b2o13b3o$48bo$30bo14bo2bo$26b2o2bo
15b2o$26b2o3bo14b2o$30bo14bo2bo$28bobo14bo$29bo17b2o7$28bo$28bo16b2o$
28b2o15b2o$27bobo$26bo2bo7b3o$25bo4bo5bo3bo5b3o$25bo2b3o10bo3bobo8bo$
25b2o5bo8bo3bo9b3o$27b3o10b2o3b3o2bo2bo4bo$30bo2bo2b4o9bo6bobo$32bo5bo
11bo5b2o$33b2o16b3o19$13bo18bo$12bo18bo$12b3o16b3o24b2o$48bobo7b2o$48b
2o$49bo$46bo8b2o$46bo8b2o$46bo$51b3o$50bo3bo$13bo18bo16bo5bo$12b3o16b
3o21bo$11bo2b2o14bo2b2o15b2o3bo$11bob2o15bob2o18b2o$13b2ob2o14b2ob2o$
10bo5bo12bo5bo$11bo4bo13bo4bo$12bo2bo15bo2bo$14bo18bo$9bo18bo37b3o$8bo
18bo40bo$8b3o16b3o37bo7$83b3o$85bo$84bo2$37b3obo$35bo5bo$35b2obo2bo$
34b2o2bo$7bo25b6o$3o2bobo2b3o17b3ob4o16bo45b3o$b3o7b2o17b2o3b2o16bobo
46bo$3bo50bobo44bo$5bobo47b2o$5b2o5$117b3o$119bo$118bo16$53bo$52bobo$
53bobo$54b2o!
The above means a C, A, C, A, C, A .. chain will have one forerake and no other debris. C, A, C, A ... C, A, C, C, C, C ... will place two forerakes with a variable separation and no other debris. However, the C chain does not permit any new forerakes without some debris.
B, A with as tight of spacing as possible (tight enough that A, A or B, B or A, B won't work) can initiate a block-pull seqeunce, leaving an additional block and two blinkers. Subsequent B or A pairs with the correct spacing can continue the block pull to an arbitrary number of rephasings with no additional debris. C can be inserted into the block pull to turn it into a blinker pull with the same property and spacing. A or B can turn the blinker pull back into a block pull. I haven't found any clean termination for either, so the total cost here is 4 pieces of debris, for arbitrarily many rephasings.
Code: Select all
x = 218, y = 619, rule = B3/S23
197bo18bo$196bo18bo$196b3o16b3o43$178bo18bo$177bo18bo$177b3o16b3o43$
159bo18bo$158bo18bo$158b3o16b3o43$140bo18bo$139bo18bo$139b3o16b3o12$
135bo$134bo$136bo$134b3o$136bobo$136b2ob2o$135bo5bo$136bo3bo$137b3o$
130bo7bo10bo$129bobo16bobo$128bo3bo14bo3bo$129bo2bo15bo2bo$129bo2bo15b
o2bo$130bobo16bobo9$129b2o17b2o$129b2o17b2o$136bo18bo$135bob2o15bob2o$
132b3o16b3o$131b5o14b5o$130bo2bo2b3o2bo7bo2bo2b3o2bo$130bobo4bo2bobo6b
obo4bo2bobo$131bo3b2o3bobo7bo3b2o3bobo$136bo4bo13bo4bo$133b3o16b3o$
133b2o17b2o15$137b3o$137bo2bo$117b2o17bo2b2o16b3o$116bo2bo15bo2bo$117b
ob2o15b2o17bo5bo$117bo37bo5bo$118bobo21bo12bo5bo$117bo2b2o$123bo19b2o
12b3o$123bo18bobo$144b2o$122b2o19bo$122b2o$123bo33bo$157bo$144b2o11bo$
124b2o18b2o$124b2o5$113bo18bo$112bo18bo$112b3o16b3o4$157b2o$157b2o5$
155b3o$139b2o$139b2o4$156bo$156bo$156bo3$122bo$121bobo$102bo17bo3bo$
102bo18bo2bo$101bobo17bo2bo$122bobo$103b2o2$103b2o2$156b2o$156b2o3$
121b2o$101b2o18b2o$101b2o25bo25b3o$108bo18bob2o7b2o$107bobo14b3o11b2o$
107bobo13b5o$105bo2bo13bo2bo2b3o2bo$104b4o5bo8bobo4bo2bobo$103bo4bo3bo
bo8bo3b2o3bobo20bo$103bobob2o3bobo13bo4bo21bo$104b2o2b2o3bo11b3o27bo$
108bo16b2o$106bob4o$106b5o$108b2o9$155b2o$155b2o4$90bo18bo$89bo18bo44b
3o$89b3o16b3o4$123b2o$123b2o29bo$110bo43bo$109b3o42bo$108bo2bo$90bo16b
3o2b2o$89b3o16bo2b3o$88bo2b2o16b2o2b2o$88bob2o20b3o$90b2ob2o14b4obo$
87bo5bo15b2o2b2o$88bo4bo18b2o$89bo2bo$91bo$86bo18bo$85bo18bo$85b3o16b
3o47b2o$154b2o5$152b3o6$153bo$153bo$153bo$84bo23b2o$77b3o2bobo2b3o18b
2o$78b3o7b2o$80bo$82bobo$82b2o7$153b2o$153b2o$72b3o$72bo2bo$74b2o$90b
3o$70bo2bo16bo2bo57b3o$71b2o16bo3bo$74b2o14bo2b2o$73b3o16bo$74bo15b2o$
71bo2bo14b3o$72b2o15b3o60bo$152bo$78bobo71bo$77bobobo14b3o8b2o$95bo3bo
7b2o$75bo7bo11bo3bo$84bo8b2o5b2o$75b3o6bo7bo4bo4bo$75b2o8bo6bo3bobo3bo
$75b2o2bo4bo7bo4bo4bo$76bob3o2b2o8b2o5b2o$76b2ob4o12b6o$78b2o15b2o2b2o
$79bo18b3o$97bobo$97b2o53b2o$152b2o5$150b3o3$63bo18bo$62bo18bo$62b3o
16b3o$151bo$151bo$151bo6$91bo$91bo$91bo4$60b2o$60bob2o14bo72b2o$62b2o
14b2o71b2o$60b2o18bo$58b2o18b2o$77bobo$58bobo17bo$59bo16bobo70b3o$74bo
$74bobo4$150bo$150bo$150bo2$74b2o$73bo2bo$68b3obo3b2o$68bo4b2o9b3o$51b
2o18bo13bob2obo$50b3o2b2o11b2obo13b3obobo$51bobob2o2b2o5bo17bo2b3obo$
52b2obo3b2o6b2o4bo2b3o5b2o4bo$54b2o12bob2o3bob2o6bo$73bob2o$74bo$150b
2o$150b2o5$148b3o6$149bo$149bo$149bo4$41b3o$41bo2bo$40bo2b2o14b2o$39bo
2bo15bo2bo$40b2o17bob2o$59bo$46bo13bobo12bo$59bo2b2o11bo$47b2o16bo9bo$
46bobo16bo83b2o$48b2o99b2o$47bo16b2o$64b2o$65bo2$48b2o97b3o$48b2o16b2o
$66b2o4$148bo$36bo18bo92bo$35bo18bo93bo$35b3o16b3o12$148b2o$60bo87b2o$
60bo$60bo3$146b3o5$44bo$44bo102bo$43bobo101bo$24bo122bo$22b2ob2o18b2o$
22b2ob2o$23bob3o17b2o$22b3o6$43b2o$23b2o18b2o$23b2o25bo$30bo18bobo95b
2o$29bobo17bobo7bo87b2o$29bobo15bo2bo8bo$30bo15b4o5bo3bo$45bo4bo3bobo$
26b3o5b2o9bobob2o3bobo$26bob2o5b2o9b2o2b2o3bo89b3o$26bob2o20bo$29bo18b
ob4o$30b3o15b5o$28bo4bo16b2o$32bo$28bo117bo$29bo116bo$146bo10$13bo18bo
$12bo18bo$12b3o16b3o$146b2o$146b2o3$45b2o$45b2o$144b3o2$32bo$31b3o$30b
o2b2o$12bo17bob2o$11b3o18b2ob2o108bo$10bo2b2o14bo5bo109bo$10b3obo15bo
4bo109bo$13b2o16bo2bo$33bo$9bo18bo$8bo18bo$8b3o16b3o8$145b2o$145b2o5$
143b3o$b2o3bo$o5b2o22b2o$bobo2bo3b2o18b2o$bobob2o3b2o$2b2ob2o$4bo139bo
$144bo$144bo13$144b2o$144b2o5$142b3o6$143bo$143bo$143bo13$143b2o$143b
2o5$141b3o6$142bo$142bo$142bo!
My thought is perhaps some combination of the above will allow all debris to occupy a small footprint (ideally, exactly the size of the longboat's shadow) with respect to NE and SW rakes. Then the NE rakes could continually pass through the debris arising from continued operation and construct frozen tracks using whatever lanes remain available. The frozen tracks, by virtue of being SW gliders, also pass through the debris. Ultimately, a full cluster comes through, and once the cluster is all the way through the debris field, climbers running on it clean up the mess. That would successfully implement 2->5 without any helix help, saving us as many as 100 helix *WSS constructions down the line.
The longboat's shadow allows only 5 of the initial 13 even lanes to pass through to construction. I don't know if that is enough for universality. Can slow gliders constrained to a shooting range of lanes congruent mod 26 to 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 produce frozen tracks?
Additional holes in the above - we can use C, A, C, A... to get a rake, and then place the longboat in the shadow of prior longboats. The issue comes from rephasing to get the next rake where it needs to be. So far, all arbitrary rephasings have some piece of debris dependent on when the rephasing ends, meaning there is debris tied to the rake. However, I haven't looked into ways to destroy the block + 2blinker constellation from beginning a block pull, and perhaps there is a solution in there that allows disentangling rephasing debris from the following rake.
There's probably something I am missing that either invalidates all of this or makes it easier than anticipated. But I definitely feel this is the most promising track pair thus far for starting off the ship, if the ship does start from only a pair.
Physics: sophistication from simplicity.