Questions about Alcubierre Drive

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In summary, the conversation discussed the implications of Alcubierre's peer-reviewed and published theory and whether it would produce gravitational waves. The person asking the question was a business student at Northwestern and expressed interest in understanding the topic better.
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markcochran
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Okay...
SO... According to the implications of Alcubierre's peer-reviewed, published theory... According to his equations, would the Alcubierre drive produce any gravitational waves that would spread outwards from the source? From what I understand, there's considerable manipulation of space that would have to occur. Would this produce gravitational waves?
THATS IT. End of question.

So, hopefully this question won't be deleted. Admittedly, it is rooted in a qualitative rather than a quantitative understanding. This may irk some, but is it really good policy to delete a lay-person's questions? Interest by the general public should be encouraged. I'm studying business at Northwestern. This means I'm not stupid. It also means there's a good chance that one day I will have lots and lots of money. So help a lay person out. And maybe one day he will help out physics.

Thanks!
 
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Please note that your earlier question was deleted NOT because it was a "lay-person's question". If you spent some time browsing this forum, you'll see a LOT of "lay-person's" questions. So I'll leave it up to you, since you are "not stupid", to figure out why those questions were allowed, and yours was not!

Zz.
 

1. What is the Alcubierre Drive?

The Alcubierre Drive is a theoretical concept proposed by Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre in 1994, which suggests a way to travel faster than the speed of light by warping space-time. It is based on the principles of general relativity and involves creating a "bubble" of space-time around a spacecraft, allowing it to move through space while the surrounding space is expanding or contracting.

2. Is the Alcubierre Drive possible?

At this point in time, the Alcubierre Drive is still purely theoretical and has not been proven to be possible. It relies on the existence of "exotic matter" with negative energy density, which has not been observed or confirmed to exist. There are also many technical challenges and potential violations of known physical laws that make it difficult to determine if the concept is feasible.

3. How fast could the Alcubierre Drive theoretically travel?

The Alcubierre Drive has been proposed as a way to travel faster than the speed of light, which is the cosmic speed limit according to Einstein's theory of relativity. However, the exact speed at which it could travel is still unknown and would depend on many factors, including the amount of negative energy required and the size and shape of the space-time bubble. Some estimates suggest it could potentially travel at speeds millions of times faster than the speed of light.

4. What are the potential implications of the Alcubierre Drive?

If the Alcubierre Drive were to be proven possible and viable for practical use, it could revolutionize space travel by allowing us to reach distant planets and galaxies in a fraction of the time it would take with current technology. It could also have significant implications for our understanding of physics and the universe as a whole. However, there are also potential dangers and ethical considerations that would need to be addressed before its implementation.

5. Are there any ongoing research or experiments related to the Alcubierre Drive?

While the Alcubierre Drive remains a theoretical concept, there are ongoing research efforts to explore its feasibility and potential implementation. Some scientists are conducting experiments to try and create and manipulate negative energy, while others are using computer simulations to better understand the effects of the drive on space-time. However, it is still a long way from being a practical and proven technology.

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