Can Alcubierre Warp Drive technology be affected by gravity wells?

[MaxSterling]

In the anime series Super Dimension Fortress Macross (Robotech in the US), they fold space to travel vast distances.

In the first episode, the humans plan an emergency fold to jump from Earth to the moon. Supposedly you shouldn't fold space too close to a planet. Their mistake sends them out near the orbit of Pluto instead of the short jump they wanted.

If their technology employed something along the lines of a working Alcubierre Warp Drive, how would a the gravity well of a nearby body affect a fold? In Macross, it increases the distance traveled significantly. Would the same thing theoretically happen with the Alcubierre model or something else? What would be considered a safe distance from a gravity well to execute the fold/jump/warp?

If you are unfamiliar with the Macross/Robotech series, you can find the episodes on HULU & YouTube. "Booby Trap" is the episode that features their ill-fated space fold.

 

[Eric Willems]

Hi,
For a Science Fiction story I'm writing, I'd like to know the rate of production of electron/positron pairs in a Catalyzed Schwinger Mechanism (?).
Specifically, how long should a VARIES spacecraft (Vacuum to Antimatter Rocket, as proposed by Richard Obousy at the British Interplanetary Society) be immobilized producing antimatter fuel to replenish its "tanks" before being able to continue operations or return to Earth?
Parameters of spacecraft , laser power, proximity to a star, solar panel electricity generation are to be decided based on your advice.

What I'm looking for is plain English data, sorry, I'm no scientist.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Eric

 

[kimberlee81]

I saw a previous thread on this had been closed without going anywhere.

The Ell Donsaii series is, I consider, a fiction must read for anyone in the physics and A.I. fields. Much of the "fiction" within is becoming fact, almost on a weekly basis.

When the series began, we had no Alexa or Google Home. The HUD units in the series are basically what are about to hit the market via Intel's amazing looking Vaunt and others, including Vuzix. Without wishing to give too much away, the books make it clear that we are headed for a very "graphene future."

Much of the other tech and physics requires either just a very slight suspension of belief, or the "foresight" to let your reading brain slip five or ten years into the future.

In short, I cannot recommend the Ell Donsaii series highly enough. (But DO start at the beginning and read through, as there are tech/physics advances that will be out of synch otherwise) By the time you finish the last book, you will hanging out for the (near) future like crazy!

NOTE: I'm not sure if every title is currently available in physical/print editions, but they are all on Kindle. (Cheap, too)

 

[BigInit]

(I hope this is ok for the rules, I did check. I read a lot of sci-fi, but this one has utterly grabbed me).

Mucking around with the laws of the universe? What do you expect from a bunch of pan-dimensional super beings?

Utterly delightful. Completely joyful.

At first I'm wondering what is going on, where is this leading? But as the story comes together and the pieces fall into place, my mind expands exponentially.

Information = Energy c-squared.

Larry Niven wrote about the the physics of Superman. Here you can find how a superhuman who is able to fly and is 256 times stronger than a normal human, can attempt to save a passenger airplane shot down by... <spoiler>.

A series of apparently disconnected short stories that come together as a glorious hole.

I've never read anything like and totally lovely it. The ideas are incredible, but in some way, logical. It works. It's fun. (It's terribly terribly moving). I've not even finished yet, but I'm just so excited. I have to ration myself or I feel I miss something. I think this could be one of those rare books where I'll immediately re-read it, so I can really get what is going on.