For decades we have dreamed of visiting other galaxies. There is only one problem: They are so far away that with conventional space flights it would take tens of thousands of years to reach even the nearest.
Physicists aren’t the kind of people who give up easily, though. Give them an impossible dream, and they will give you an incredible, hypothetical way to make it come true. Could be.
In a new study by physicist Erik Lentz of the University of Göttingen in Germany, we may have a viable solution to the dilemma, and it could turn out to be more feasible than other potential warp drives.
This is an area that attracts a lot of clever ideas, each offering a different approach to solving the puzzle of faster-than-light travel: achieving a way to send something through space at superluminal speeds.
Hypothetical travel times to Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the sun. (E. Lentz)
However, there are some problems with this idea. In conventional physics, in accordance with Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity, there is no real way to reach or exceed the speed of light, something we need for any journey measured in light years.
However, that didn’t stop physicists from breaking this universal speed limit.
While matter is pushed past the speed of light will always be a big no-no, spacetime itself has no such rule. In fact, the far reaches of the Universe are already stretching out faster than light could ever match.
To bend a small bubble in a similar way for transport purposes, we need to solve the equations of the theory of relativity to create an energy density lower than the void of space. Although this kind of negative energy takes place on a quantum scale, sufficient accumulation in the form of ‘negative mass’ is still a domain for exotic physics.
In addition to facilitating other types of abstract possibilities, such as wormholes and time travel, negative energy could help power what is known as the Alcubierre warp drive.
This speculative concept would use negative energy principles to warp space around a hypothetical spacecraft, effectively allowing it to travel faster than light without questioning traditional physical laws, except for the reasons explained above, we cannot hope we can provide such a fantastic fuel. source to get you started.
But what if it were possible to somehow travel faster than light that remains true to Einstein’s theory of relativity without requiring any kind of exotic physics that physicists have never seen?
Artistic impression of different spacecraft designs in ‘warp bubbles’. (E. Lentz)
In the new work, Lentz proposes a way we could do this, thanks to what he calls a new class of superfast solitons – a type of wave that maintains its shape and energy while moving at a constant speed (and in this case, a speed faster than light).
According to Lentz’s theoretical calculations, these superfast soliton solutions can exist within general relativity and come purely from positive energy densities, meaning there is no need to consider exotic sources of negative energy density that have not yet been verified.
With enough energy, configurations of these solitons could function as warp bubbles, capable of superluminal motion, and theoretically allow an object to pass through space-time while protected from extreme tidal forces.
It’s an impressive feat of theoretical gymnastics, although the amount of energy required means that this warp drive is only a hypothetical possibility for now.
“The energy required for this propulsion that travels at the speed of light and encompasses a spacecraft with a radius of 100 meters is on the order of hundreds of times the mass of the planet Jupiter,” said Lentz.
“The energy savings would have to be drastic, of about 30 orders of magnitude to fall within the range of modern fission reactors.”
While Lentz’s study claims to be the first known solution of its kind, his paper arrived at almost exactly the same time as another recent analysis, published only this month, which also proposes an alternative model for a physically possible warp drive that does not. need negative energy to function.
Both teams are now in touch, Lentz says, and the researcher plans to share his data further so other scientists can explore his numbers. Plus, Lentz will explain his research in a week’s time – in a live YouTube presentation on March 19.
There are still plenty of puzzles to solve, but the free flow of ideas like this remains our best hope of ever getting a chance to visit those distant twinkling stars.
“This work has taken the problem of traveling faster than light one step away from theoretical research in fundamental physics and closer to engineering,” said Lentz.
“The next step is to figure out how we can reduce the astronomical amount of energy required to be within the reach of current technologies, such as a large modern nuclear fission plant. Then we can talk about building the first prototypes.”
The findings are reported in Classic and quantum gravity