In one minute
Alcubierre’s 1994 paper specifies a mathematical geometry in which space expands behind a moving region and contracts ahead of it. A spacecraft at its center follows a freely falling path, remaining below the local speed of light even when distant observers assign it faster-than-light motion. In the prescribed geometry, its clock runs at the same rate as distant clocks during this central trajectory. Tidal forces near the spacecraft can be small for suitable size and shape parameters, while forces near the boundary can be large. Calculating the required matter and energy reveals negative energy density and violations of classical energy conditions. The paper invokes quantum examples such as the Casimir effect but supplies no method for producing the required distribution.
The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity
- Miguel Alcubierre(Author)
Publication and identifiers
- Work type
- Paper
- Year
- 1994
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Edition
- Classical and Quantum Gravity, 1994 journal paper, volume 11 issue 5, L73–L77; held arXiv:gr-qc/0009013v1 uploaded 5 September 2000
- Identifiers
- Original source links
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- Recorded rights status
- Linking only
- Rights holder
- Not established by consulted item metadata
Citation fields
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- Original title
- The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity
- Attribution
- Miguel Alcubierre(Author)
- Year
- 1994
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Edition
- Classical and Quantum Gravity, 1994 journal paper, volume 11 issue 5, L73–L77; held arXiv:gr-qc/0009013v1 uploaded 5 September 2000
- Identifiers
- Original source links
Bibliography associations
A bibliography listing does not establish authorship. Credits appear under attribution.
- Miguel AlcubierreListed work