Warp drive

From TinWiki.org

Warp drive is a theoretical means of FTL(Faster Than Light) propulsion.It is commonly known because of its usage in the sci-fi series of Star Trek.It,like Hyperdrive is far from fiction however as there are many agencies including NASA that are researching its 'real world' possibilites.The concept of Warp drive is relatively simple;you constrict space in front of a craft and expand it behind.By doing so you move space itself while your craft is not moving at all.Currently it will take massive technological advancements to create a working engine that can achieve this effect.The mathematical formulas are 'there',but there is a major difference between words and numbers and a working model!There is one warp theory that is receiving attention-the Alcubierre drive,which allows a craft to 'ride in a warp bubble'.In doing this the craft negates the relativistic effects of FTL travel.In this bubble the craft rests or rides on a 'normal flat space-time'while the space outside is moved.Source:The Alcubierre metric, also known as the Alcubierre drive or Warp Drive, is a speculative mathematical model of a space-time exhibiting features reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" from Star Trek, which can travel "Faster-than-light" (although not in a local sense - see below).

In 1994, the Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre proposed a method of stretching space in a wave which would in theory cause the fabric of space ahead of a spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand.[1] The ship would ride this wave inside a region known as a warp bubble of flat space. Since the ship is not moving within this bubble, but carried along as the region itself moves, conventional relativistic effects such as time dilation do not apply in the way they would in the case of a ship moving at high velocity through flat space-time. Also, this method of travel does not actually involve moving faster than light in a local sense, since a light beam within the bubble would still always move faster than the ship; it is only "faster than light" in the sense that, thanks to the contraction of the space in front of it, the ship could reach its destination faster than a light beam restricted to travelling outside the warp bubble. Thus, the Alcubierre drive does not contradict the conventional claim that relativity forbids a slower-than-light object to accelerate to faster-than-light speeds. However, there are no known methods to create such a warp bubble in a region that does not already contain one, or to leave the bubble once inside it, so the Alcubierre drive remains a theoretical concept at this time.

Warp Drive

Here is a summary of the mathematical formulas involved(notice this theory has made much more progress than 'Hyperdrive)Using the 3+1 formalism of general relativity, the space-time is described by a foliation of space-like hypersurfaces of constant coordinate time t. The general form of the Alcubierre metric is:Refer to this page for mathematical formulas and visual representations.Link

As of right now it is unknown is this type of propulsion is even possible,and if it is even the most generous theories state that the craft would need small amounts of negative energy,which hasn't been proven yet.Like Hyperspace it is possible that a 'sub-spatial' dimension may exist and be solely responsible for FTL speeds,even if a 'sub space' dimension does not exist current formulas postulate that it is still possible to achieve a warp drive system.This,like Hyperdrive is reported to be used by alien species visiting Earth,as well as ultra secret government agencies.

Sources

• The Alcubierre Warp Drive by John G. Cramer
• The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity - Alcubierre's original paper (PDF File)
• Problems with Warp Drive Examined - (PDF File)
• Marcelo B. Ribeiro's Page on Warp Drive Theory
• A short video clip of the hypothetical effects of the warp drive.
• Doc Travis S. Taylor's website
• The (Im) Possibility of Warp Drive (Van Den Broeck)
• Reduced Energy Requirements for Warp Drive (Loup, Waite)
• Warp Drive Space-Time (González-Díaz)
• NASA article describing the concept in laymans terms
• Retrieved from here