Warp Drive-how feasible?

[timewerx]

Why would time dilation still apply if the person inside the ship isn't really moving? As I said earlier, that not moving idea seems weird. Do you feel that the person warping space in that way is indeed moving?

The A-Drive's claim is theoretically possible.

The only problem is what you need to reach exactly that condition is rather extreme. What you need to manipulate space-time to such parameters may be equivalent to conditions near a black hole's event horizon. If collimated, it would be safe but still very difficult to produce.

It would require incredible amounts of negative energy even if for a very short period of time...

Our only technology that can possibly do that are nuclear weapons. Of course, they will have to be modified to create the appropriate tensor field to create a safely collimated force field.

Fortunately, you don't need to explode nuclear weapons to create a suitable warp field for FTL flight (although nuclear explosives can still be considered in some situations to dramatically cut travel time). Lesser fields at more time dilation, slower acceleration are still quite good for consideration.

 

[Radrook]

The A-Drive's claim is theoretically possible.

The only problem is what you need to reach exactly that condition is rather extreme. What you need to manipulate space-time to such parameters may be equivalent to conditions near a black hole's event horizon. If collimated, it would be safe but still very difficult to produce.

It would require incredible amounts of negative energy even if for a very short period of time...

Our only technology that can possibly do that are nuclear weapons. Of course, they will have to be modified to create the appropriate tensor field to create a safely collimated force field.

Fortunately, you don't need to explode nuclear weapons to create a suitable warp field for FTL flight (although nuclear explosives can still be considered in some situations to dramatically cut travel time). Lesser fields at more time dilation, slower acceleration are still quite good for consideration.

Do you consider a person travelling via the A-Drive to be moving?

 

[timewerx]

Do you consider a person travelling via the A-Drive to be moving?

If the space inside the warp bubble is sliding past adjacent space then yes, if not, and if the bubble is burst....you end up in the same place you started.

 

[Radrook]

If the space inside the warp bubble is sliding past adjacent space then yes, if not, and if the bubble is burst....you end up in the same place you started.

How can he not be moving past adjacent space and making any headway?

 

[John 1720]

https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html

However, there are few problems with the concept (discussed in that link).

IMO according to those issues, the Alcubeirre concept would still be moving against the local space time and would still be subjected to the principles of Frame Dragging and Lense-Thirring Effect to go FTL. It's not a huge problem as the ship can still go FTL but only in a slower rate of acceleration.

• To put it simply, this method of space travel involves stretching the fabric of space-time in a wave which would (in theory) cause the space ahead of an object to contract while the space behind it would expand. An object inside this wave (i.e. a spaceship) would then be able to ride this region, known as a "warp bubble" of flat space.

I hope it never takes off from earth or never heads towards us. That's one contract I'd never sign up for and I wouldn't want to be expand on this any further!

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html#jCp

 

[Radrook]

• To put it simply, this method of space travel involves stretching the fabric of space-time in a wave which would (in theory) cause the space ahead of an object to contract while the space behind it would expand. An object inside this wave (i.e. a spaceship) would then be able to ride this region, known as a "warp bubble" of flat space.

I hope it never takes off from earth or never heads towards us. That's one contract I'd never sign up for and I wouldn't want to be expand on this any further!

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-alcubierre-warp.html#jCp

So what happens to anything in the trajectory of that wave?

 

[John 1720]

So what happens to anything in the trajectory of that wave?

Yep, that's the point. Be prepared to be either contracted or expanded I guess.

 

[Radrook]

Yep, that's the point. Be prepared to be either contracted or expanded I guess.

So how far in front or behind from that wave must something be in order not get obliterated?

 

[John 1720]

So how far in front or behind from that wave must something be in order not get obliterated?

Probably a parsec or two should be a safe enough distance for minimum warp drive; less if you feel lucky.

 

[Radrook]

C

Probably a parsec or two should be a safe enough distance for minimum warp drive; less if you feel lucky.

A parsec is 3.26 light-years (31 trillion kilometres or 19 trillion miles) in length. The nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is about 1.3 parsecs (4.2 light-years) from the Sun. So I would need to be at a distance of approx. our nearest star Alpha Centaury or farther in order to be out of harm's way when you turn that thing on? Judas Priest! That's not spaceship engine-that's a long distance destructor. That is if you aren't pulling my leg. about this of course.

 

[timewerx]

How can he not be moving past adjacent space and making any headway?

It depends on the behavior of space-time. It's still uncertain how space would behave around the A-drive.

 

[timewerx]

So how far in front or behind from that wave must something be in order not get obliterated?

It would depend on the nature of the drive, the power levels and the size of the warp field.

Also, there would be a "safe zone" in very close proximity to the ship. Within the safe zone, you'll be dragged with the ship without any damage.

To be safe, a ship's warp engines must be powered up at a progressive level with increasing distance from a planet or solar system.

OR only employ small warp ships or shuttles en-route to a planet and "park" the mother ships a good distance away from habitable zones.

......

If you think about it, if there are actually intelligent extra-solar beings out there and they have similar technologies, they could easily crush our entire planet like a tiny bug using warp technology alone or even send the Earth to the Sun, game over....

You then wonder if such things exist out there, how are they waging wars??? Their technology can easily wipe out entire solar systems!

 

[Radrook]

It would depend on the nature of the drive, the power levels and the size of the warp field.

Also, there would be a "safe zone" in very close proximity to the ship. Within the safe zone, you'll be dragged with the ship without any damage.

To be safe, a ship's warp engines must be powered up at a progressive level with increasing distance from a planet or solar system.

OR only employ small warp ships or shuttles en-route to a planet and "park" the mother ships a good distance away from habitable zones.

......

If you think about it, if there are actually intelligent extra-solar beings out there and they have similar technologies, they could easily crush our entire planet like a tiny bug using warp technology alone or even send the Earth to the Sun, game over....

You then wonder if such things exist out there, how are they waging wars??? Their technology can easily wipe out entire solar systems!

Are the distance safety estimates in the previous post correct. Seems that they would put Alpha Centaury itself at risk by just aiming ourselves at it via warp technology. I agree, if indeed warping space can be so destructive then any creature, being, or alien civilization hell-bent on destroying all life deemed either unworthy of living or some kind of a threat could wreak havoc via using it for elimination purposes.

 

[timewerx]

Are the distance safety estimates in the previous post correct. Seems that they would put Alpha Centaury itself at risk by just aiming ourselves at it via warp technology. I agree, if indeed warping space can be so destructive then any creature, being, or alien civilization hell-bent on destroying all life deemed either unworthy of living or some kind of a threat could wreak havoc via using it for elimination purposes.

I don't think it would be dangerous out to that distance and there might be warp drives that are safe to use "near" Earth as long as the ship isn't too big.

Note, if you're using very high power levels (Star Trek performance levels), the ship would be FTL (and far far away) in a small fraction of a second....

So even if the wake of a ship that is warping out reached Earth, it would be very fleeting and weak. Even if the gravitational forces exceed Earth's by multiple factors, it won't do any damage since the duration is a very small fraction of time.

With a ship the size of a camper van, it can be safe to warp out/in at max levels (black hole intensity) at geostationary orbit, some 20,000 kms from the Earth's surface. Using any kind of negative energy warp drive.

Of course such ship can use the warp drive at much lower power levels anywhere near Earth including during landing or take off.

 

[Radrook]

I don't think it would be dangerous out to that distance and there might be warp drives that are safe to use "near" Earth as long as the ship isn't too big.

Note, if you're using very high power levels (Star Trek performance levels), the ship would be FTL (and far far away) in a small fraction of a second....

So even if the wake of a ship that is warping out reached Earth, it would be very fleeting and weak. Even if the gravitational forces exceed Earth's by multiple factors, it won't do any damage since the duration is a very small fraction of time.

With a ship the size of a camper van, it can be safe to warp out/in at max levels (black hole intensity) at geostationary orbit, some 20,000 kms from the Earth's surface. Using any kind of negative energy warp drive.

Of course such ship can use the warp drive at much lower power levels anywhere near Earth including during landing or take off.

So a gradual powering up is the solution. Correct?

 

[timewerx]

So a gradual powering up is the solution. Correct?

That might depend on the size of the ship. A camper van size ship at geostationary orbit can punch it all the way.

A much larger ship within the Earth's atmosphere can still use the warp drive at lower power levels to perform comparatively impressive maneuvers against conventional aircraft.

Only size matters not weight. Because a warp drive would ignore the mass/weight of the vehicle. Your ship could be made of pure lead or a pure block of platinum metal, incredibly heavy but the warp drive will still use exactly the same power setting than if the ship was made entirely of chicken feathers. You can perform maneuvers that would make aerobatic pilots drool.

 

[Radrook]

That might depend on the size of the ship. A camper van size ship at geostationary orbit can punch it all the way.

A much larger ship within the Earth's atmosphere can still use the warp drive at lower power levels to perform comparatively impressive maneuvers against conventional aircraft.

Only size matters not weight. Because a warp drive would ignore the mass/weight of the vehicle. Your ship could be made of pure lead or a pure block of platinum metal, incredibly heavy but the warp drive will still use exactly the same power setting than if the ship was made entirely of chicken feathers. You can perform maneuvers that would make aerobatic pilots drool.

Good point! The warping of space doesn't require that we deal with momentum, mass, or any other factor that figures into chemical propulsion drives, or other type of action reaction method of travel which relies on motion through space itself. It would also seem to eliminate hull friction caused by dust and gas and impact hazards along with all the protective preparation such as the shielding needed to minimize these dangers. Right?

 

[timewerx]

Good point! The warping of space doesn't require that we deal with momentum, mass, or any other factor that figures into chemical propulsion drives, or other type of action reaction method of travel which relies on motion through space itself. It would also seem to eliminate hull friction caused by dust and gas and impact hazards along with all the protective preparation such as the shielding needed to minimize these dangers. Right?

Yes, it highly plausible. Obviously, a gravity-like force would also have a very strong effect on air/gas. Without gravity for example, Earth would lose its atmosphere very quickly.

It can potentially eliminate aerodynamic heating and sonic booms and allow unbelievably high speed flight within the the Earth's atmosphere.

 

[Radrook]

Yes, it highly plausible. Obviously, a gravity-like force would also have a very strong effect on air/gas. Without gravity for example, Earth would lose its atmosphere very quickly.

It can potentially eliminate aerodynamic heating and sonic booms and allow unbelievably high speed flight within the the Earth's atmosphere.

Is their any time dilation involved in relation to the A-drive? I would assume that there isn't but not sure. If indeed there is, how does it differ from travelling at near light speed with a regular drive?

 

[timewerx]

Is their any time dilation involved in relation to the A-drive? I would assume that there isn't but not sure. If indeed there is, how does it differ from travelling at near light speed with a regular drive?

I'm not sure either. In recent times scientists found out the speed of light is not absolutely the same in every part of the Universe.

It could easily exceed the establish C constant even in nature.

Nothing is certain anymore. Either big mistakes or deliberate misinformation. I guess we'll just have to build a warp drive find out ourselves.