Matter-antimatter ship in GR clock paradox - fuel consumption

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the fuel consumption of a matter-antimatter ship traveling under General Relativity (GR) conditions. Participants reference an arXiv article and a specific webpage detailing the physics of rocket travel. For a 4.3 light-year journey, it is established that 38 kg of matter-antimatter fuel is required for every 1 kg of payload, assuming 100% efficiency according to Einstein's equation E=mc². The conversation highlights the complexities of determining mass functions in the context of GR.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of General Relativity (GR) principles
  • Familiarity with Einstein's mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
  • Knowledge of rocket propulsion physics
  • Basic concepts of relativistic travel and time dilation
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the arXiv article on relativistic rocket travel for deeper insights
  • Explore the webpage on rocket physics provided by John Baez
  • Research advanced concepts in General Relativity related to mass functions
  • Investigate the implications of fuel efficiency in matter-antimatter propulsion systems
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, aerospace engineers, and students interested in advanced propulsion systems and the implications of General Relativity on space travel.

malin
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hi,

recall the familiar round trip - it's more or less the same as in this arXiv article (http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/physics/pdf/0604/0604025v3.pdf) - round trip with acceleration g. me and my friends were wondering the following:
imagine that the passenger abroad the rocket travels for 4 years and the ship alone is 1000t. (or any other number, it doesn't matter)
how much matter-antimatter (100% efficiency, E=mc2) fuel would the ship need?

we don't even agree wheter m(t) is trivial from the boundary conditions, let alone m(x),
and we are working in GR framework...
can anyone tell me how to solve this one?


thanks!
 
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Hi malin, welcome to PF,

The http://www.math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/rocket.html" page covers all of this. For a 4.3 light-year trip stopping at the end you require 38 kg of fuel (at 100% efficiency) for every 1 kg of payload.
 
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