Talk:Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Program/Dumping ground
Diametrical drive
The diametric drive is a hypothetical engine[1] which would create a non-conservative gravitational field with non-zero curl [citation needed]. It was argued that in such circumstances, the side of the field which creates more force on the spacecraft will accelerate the spacecraft in the direction of the force.
One idea for realizing this concept involved hypothetical particles with negative mass, originally proposed by Robert Forward [2][3] and James Woodward[citation needed]. If one were to construct a block of negative mass, and then attach it to a normal "positive" mass, the negative mass would fall towards the positive as does any mass toward any other. On the other hand, the negative mass would generate "negative gravity", and thus the positive mass (the spaceship itself generally) would fall away from the negative mass. If arranged properly, the distance between the two would not change, while they continued to accelerate forever. It has been argued[by whom?] that stability issues might arise.
The concept is illustrated according to Millis[2] by:
where:
- is the gravitational scalar potential
- is normal mass
- is distance
Disjunction
The disjuction drive is a hypothetical drive based on the separation of the source of a field from the matter with which it would otherwise interact.[2][4][5] According to a summary of speculative propulsion ideas[2]:
This concept entertains the possibility that the source of a field and that which reacts to a field can be separated. By displacing them in space, the reactant is shifted to a point where the field has a slope, thus producing reaction forces between the source and the reactant. Although existing evidence strongly suggests that the source, reactant, and inertial mass properties are inseparable, any future evidence to the contrary would have revolutionary implication to this propulsion application.
The concept is expressed mathematically[2] as:
- ^ Millis, Marc G. (author, editor); Davis, Eric W. (editor) (2009). Frontiers of propulsion science. Reston, Va.: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. pp. 160–162. ISBN 9781615830770.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e Millis, Marc G. (September 1997). "Challenge to Create the Space Drive" (PDF). Journal of Propulsion and Power. 13 (5): 577–582. doi:10.2514/2.5215. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ Forward,R.L., "Negative Matter Propulsion', In Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 6, No. 1, p 28-37, (Jan - Feb, 1990).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
frontierschapter3
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Popular Science May 2001. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ Glenn Research Centre