Can a Spacecraft Achieve Light Speed Using Jupiter's Magnetic Field?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of a spacecraft achieving light speed using Jupiter's magnetic field and the Lorentz force. Participants explore theoretical implications, the concept of escape velocity, and the nature of light speed in different mediums.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that a spacecraft could achieve light speed by utilizing Jupiter's magnetic field and Lorentz force, proposing that activating an electric charge would allow the spacecraft to accelerate around Jupiter.
  • Another participant counters that special relativity prohibits any object from traveling at or faster than the speed of light in a given medium, emphasizing that escape velocity from Jupiter does not equate to escape velocity from the sun.
  • In response, a participant mentions Cherenkov radiation as an example of particles traveling faster than light in a medium, while clarifying that nothing can exceed the speed of light in a vacuum and that objects with invariant mass cannot reach light speed.
  • Further discussion introduces the concept of virtual photons, suggesting they do not have to travel at light speed over short distances, but one participant cautions against including virtual particles in discussions about light speed due to potential confusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the possibility of achieving light speed and the implications of special relativity, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions about the nature of light speed in different contexts, the role of escape velocity, and the interpretation of virtual particles, which remain unresolved.

sr241
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I heard that light speed is attainable for a spacecraft from Jupiter's magnetic field and by Lorentz force. in this concept electric charge is turned on in a spacecraft orbiting Jupiter and Lorentz force caused by Jupiter's high magnetic field causes spacecraft to rotate around Jupiter faster and faster; when light speed is attained electric charge is turned off and spacecraft shoots through space at light speed.

my question is this; is any velocity higher than Jupiter's escape velocity is possible to attained by the above said concept?

I strongly feel that after attaining escape velocity of Jupiter, spacecraft will shoot to outer space: am I correct?
 
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sr241 said:
I heard that light speed is attainable for a spacecraft from Jupiter's magnetic field and by Lorentz force. in this concept electric charge is turned on in a spacecraft orbiting Jupiter and Lorentz force caused by Jupiter's high magnetic field causes spacecraft to rotate around Jupiter faster and faster; when light speed is attained electric charge is turned off and spacecraft shoots through space at light speed.

my question is this; is any velocity higher than Jupiter's escape velocity is possible to attained by the above said concept?

I strongly feel that after attaining escape velocity of Jupiter, spacecraft will shoot to outer space: am I correct?

Bud, SR forbids *all* travel through space at or faster than the local value of C. Put another way, you can never go as fast or faster than light through a given medium.

Escape velocity from Jupiter does not equal escape velocity from the sun.
 


FalseVaccum89 said:
Put another way, you can never go as fast or faster than light through a given medium.

Sure you can. Cherenkov radiation is a direct result of particle traveling faster than light through a medium. The key is that nothing can ever exceed c, the speed of light in a vacuum, and nothing with invariant mass can ever reach c.
 


Drakkith said:
Sure you can. Cherenkov radiation is a direct result of particle traveling faster than light through a medium. The key is that nothing can ever exceed c, the speed of light in a vacuum, and nothing with invariant mass can ever reach c.

Intriguing. . . Your comment spurred me to do some more digging, and it appears that virtual photons (per QFT) don't even have to travel at c over short distances.

Richard Feynman said:
...there is also an amplitude for light to go faster (or slower) than the conventional speed of light. You found out in the last lecture that light doesn't go only in straight lines; now, you find out that it doesn't go only at the speed of light! It may surprise you that there is an amplitude for a photon to go at speeds faster or slower than the conventional speed, c."[4] These virtual photons, however, do not violate causality or special relativity, as they are not directly observable and information cannot be transmitted acausally in the theory. Feynman diagrams and virtual photons are usually interpreted not as a physical picture of what is actually taking place, but rather as a convenient calculation tool (which, in some cases, happen to involve faster-than-light velocity vectors).

Thanks for setting me straight!
 


FalseVaccum89 said:
Intriguing. . . Your comment spurred me to do some more digging, and it appears that virtual photons (per QFT) don't even have to travel at c over short distances.

Hmmm...it may be better to leave virtual particles out of any talk of the speed of light, as things tend to get...confusing if you bring them up anywhere but the QM forum. Well, not even then, as things still get confusing.
 

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