New Superconducting RF Cavity: Potential for EMdrive Propulsion?

[sanman]

Here's an interesting article about a new breakthrough in the manufacture of a superconducting radio-frequency cavity:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/09/superconducting-radiofrequency-cavity.html

If this new cavity were tested for EMdrive purposes, could it reveal a new mechanism for propulsion?

 

[D H]

IBTL!

In a nutshell, this is pseudoscience, and we don't discuss nonsense like that here.

A couple of links:

Blake Stacey, Science After Sunclipse, The EmDrive Story, or How to Propel Pseudoscience, http://scienceblogs.com/sunclipse/2008/09/the_emdrive_story_or_how_to_pr.php

John Baez, The b-Category Cafe, New Scientist Reacts, http://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2006/10/new_scientist_reacts.htmlWhat about articles in the scientific literature debunking this? Sorry, there are none. There are no articles in the scientific literature that describe this nonsense, either. It is poppycock. You won't find articles in the scientific literature debunking this because there is no reason to publish such a paper. That New Scientist did is troubling.

That the Chinese have been snookered into investing in it is even more troubling. Then again, they are spending a lot of money to become a spacefaring nation. When NASA was rolling in the dough back in the 1960s they wasted a bit of money on pure nonsense. Apparently the Chinese have been caught in the same trap.

 

[NatSusan]

That is an interesting question. Superconducting radio-frequency cavities have been used in particle accelerators and other high-energy physics experiments for years, but I haven't heard much about their potential for propulsion purposes. It's possible that this new breakthrough could lead to a better understanding of the underlying physics of the EMdrive and potentially open up new avenues for propulsion research. However, it's also important to note that the EMdrive is still a highly controversial topic in the scientific community, with many experts questioning its validity and feasibility. So while this new cavity may offer some new insights, it's still too early to say if it will have any significant impact on the EMdrive research. Only time and further testing will tell.