NASA working on warp drive experiments

[PhysicsDad]

I've been trying to follow these experiments that NASA is doing to try and warp space-time on a microscopic scale. Obviously that won't have us traveling at FTL speeds yet, but it would be proof of concept. From what I read, they are using a laser, and some kind of special ceramic material (I think) to try and make a microscopic warp. Now it's also said that a full sized drive would need some kind of unknown exotic matter to be useful. (That would be the next major hurdle in changing this from plausible to practical) I understand the basics of how they are making the measurements to see if a warp is created or not, and they are looking in the range of a few parts per million. My question is that I don't seem to understand how a laser could be expected to make such a warp in space-time? The articles I read weren't very clear on that part, so would anyone be able to explain how a laser could have that effect?

Moderators: I am not sure if I put this in the correct forum, so please move to a better place if needed.

 

[Mordred]

The only paper I've seen deals with the exotic materials also covers some of the principles of manufacture may help. Or at least be of interest.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1009.5663

 

[PhysicsDad]

Thank you so much. As you said, it doesn't cover what the laser experiments have to do with it, but as far as the materials we could possible use, it was extremely interesting reading (even if some of it was a little over my head)

 

[Mordred]

No problem it is a good article. If your interested I have another article covering a possible hazard of using the alcubierre drive. The spacetime warping can attract and generate dangerous levels of radiation.

 

[sardar]

I am also intrigued by the concept of warp drive and have been following NASA's experiments closely. While it is exciting to think about the possibility of traveling at faster-than-light speeds, it is important to note that these experiments are still in the early stages and there are many hurdles to overcome before a practical warp drive can be developed.

The use of a laser and a special ceramic material in these experiments is based on the theory of Alcubierre drive, which suggests that by manipulating space-time, we could create a "warp bubble" that would allow for faster-than-light travel. However, as you mentioned, a full-sized warp drive would require exotic matter, which is still a theoretical concept and has not been observed in nature.

To answer your question about how a laser could create a warp in space-time, it is important to understand that the laser is not directly creating the warp. Rather, it is being used to create a specific type of energy field that could potentially manipulate space-time. The ceramic material is also being used to help focus and direct this energy.

The measurements being taken by NASA are incredibly precise, as even a small distortion in space-time could have significant effects. While the results of these experiments may not lead to a practical warp drive in the near future, they are providing valuable insights and data that could potentially lead to breakthroughs in the future.

In summary, the use of a laser and special ceramic material in NASA's experiments is based on theoretical concepts and is not a direct method of creating a warp in space-time. These experiments are still in the early stages and there are many challenges to overcome before a practical warp drive can be developed. However, they are providing valuable insights and data that could potentially lead to groundbreaking discoveries in the future.