Hello all. I'm new here, this is my first post. Now, I know the canon and I know this is far from it. Just a few thoughts I've got.
Enveloping a volume of space within a subspace field creates a self contained, independent sub-set of space. Though mater or energy cannot travel faster then light, space can. When warp drive is initiated the subspace field establishes this ‘pocket’ space, using asymmetrical nested, layered subspace fields the pocket is made to move. Subspace and space is observed to have a weak repulsive feature, in other words subspace always seeks to return to its domain while space seeks to force it out. The propulsive effect of warp drive uses this feature by impregnating a volume of space with some density of subspace in graduated layers. Being nested in the fashion they are, subspace cannot return to its domain and then seeks the volume of space with the lowest density of subspace, thus the outermost layer of the warp field must have the highest subspace density while the warp field graduates to lower subspace densities until the field terminates at the desired border with the sub-set space ‘pocket’. The exponential increase in energy requirements as more velocity is desired is a result of needing a stronger warp field to maintain the subspace density in the outermost layer and having to reach further into subspace to acquire subspace with higher densities. The current verterium cortenide warp coil technology is not capable of condensing subspace and must seek subspace in natural densities.
The nature of the material (verterium cortenide) used in modern warp coils is the limiting factor in achieving faster velocities. Devising a new process for creating a warp field is in order.
Edit: Sorry, CANON. Thanks Minutiae.
[ November 23, 2006, 06:28 PM: Message edited by: Benjamin Peace ]
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Which "cannon" are you talking about? Phaser cannon, photonic cannon, bamboo cannon?
Posted by Benjamin Peace (Member # 1939) on :
I take it there's something about this thread that people simply aren't interested in. Hmmm. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
More like you're making a statement rather than a discussion point. I think we all kind of shrugged & went, "Yeah, and?"
Posted by Benjamin Peace (Member # 1939) on :
Ahh, I can see your point, Shik. Discuss, point things out, critique the idea. Or ignore it entirely...
Anyway here’s the point I guess I didn’t reach before. In my mind it’s quite haphazard to use a ‘condensed composite material’ to affect a space-subspace distortion in order to accomplish FTL movement. I see the whole process as something akin to using internal combustion engines for terrestrial locomotion when things like solid state maglev technologies are totally realizable for mass transit. Just a little...clunky, imo. So, does anyone have a better idea?
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
Affect? Or Effect?
How about a network of graviton slingshots? I've always liked the idea of Dennis-The-Menace-ing ships off to another point.
Posted by Pensive's Wetness (Member # 1203) on :
quote:Originally posted by Benjamin Peace: Ahh, I can see your point, Shik. Discuss, point things out, critique the idea. Or ignore it entirely...
Anyway here’s the point I guess I didn’t reach before. In my mind it’s quite haphazard to use a ‘condensed composite material’ to affect a space-subspace distortion in order to accomplish FTL movement. I see the whole process as something akin to using internal combustion engines for terrestrial locomotion when things like solid state maglev technologies are totally realizable for mass transit. Just a little...clunky, imo. So, does anyone have a better idea?
If you can explain my fixation with D&D Halflings, Pink Hair and Bald Monks of Ilmatier, you might make about a 1000 people happy on any ALFA Server...
or they might make fun of you, too
*Waves 'Hi', anyway*
Posted by Benjamin Peace (Member # 1939) on :
Affect, Shik. As for your graviton slingshot here's something i thought up for some fan(boy)fic.
If a ship could produce and control gravitons to the point that they could distort or distend space in a very specific manner the ship could achieve FTL travel. Think of an eighteen inch subwoofer with a bean sitting on it, the bean jumps every pulse of the speaker. Your ship would have to be isolated in an egg shaped gravimetric field with the longest end to the aft. The ship would then emit several pockets of gravitons to its aft in a web like arrangement. Space would be distended along that web, placing your ship at the focal point of alot of gravimetric energy. Thanks to Stephen Hawking we know that gravitons can be 'virtual particles' and could be dismissed at will by annihilating their 'sister particle'. When space snaps back to its 'flat' configuration the energy of the distension field would be transfered to the back of the egg shaped isolation field that is around the ship. Due to the properties of length contraction and mass gain as you approach the speed of light you could slowly contract your gravimetric isolation pocket to pass c.
It was many many moons ago when i thought this up. Being older and wiser now I can see that it is so much hogwash.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Oh, we're the experts on hogwash here.
Also, basically, we've given up trying to figure out how the things with "subspace" in them could be made commeasurate with real physics. Since the end result doesn't seem to match the Einsteinian worldview regardless of how, exactly, the warp drive works, we prefer to stick to our private ideas about how, exactly, the warp drive works, and leave it at that.
Also, we like being cruel to people. And to flies. Including fruit flies. (But some of us have a soft spot for kittens. Which is a weakness that others mercilessly exploit.) So... Apologies on behalf of the Forum, even if not necessarily on behalf of its members.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Benjamin Peace (Member # 1939) on :
I like π....
Posted by Lurker Emeritus (Member # 1888) on :
I assume it would be elementary to point out the works of Alcubierre and Krasnikov which specifically invalidated the whole possibility of warp drive by throwing up more insurmountable problems than they answered!
I thought I'd copy this section of text in to illustrate, because I didn't want to write it out myself
quote:Another concern over the Alcubierre warp drive is that it once the ship goes superluminal, there may be a problem controlling the warp...Information can not be sent from behind the ship outside the bubble to the inside. Also, information can not be sent from inside the ship to the region to outside, in front...This piece of the warp shell can not then be turned off. This lead to the concern over the ability to control the warp at superluminal speeds.
Plus little details about the annihilation of matter at the junction between the bubble and normal space.
I liked Krasnikov's warp tube idea initially. Then I gave myself another causality induced headache trying to think around it.
So, in summary, when it comes to dreaming up real world FTL solutions, or even squaring the polygon that is Star Trek warp drive, I usually resort to screaming FTL IS NOT POSSIBLE ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF PHYSICS... however, human hibernation is very feasible. See the works of Alam on medical hibernation (but don't try to ask him for any details because he's got a deal with the Pentagon to develop battlefield applications and his P.A. will first ignore you, then placate you and then tell you he's too busy go away). Combine that with something like a minimag orion or something more exotic like the Valkyrie antimatter rocket and I'll see you in alpha centauri in, ooh, 20 years?
I know that none of this is what you wanted to talk about but I thought I'd say it anyway because I'm one of those annoying swines who resuscitates dead threads simply because it amuses me to do so
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