Since ancient times, human beings have been full of curiosity and yearning for the universe. From early astronomical observations to modern space technology, we continue to explore this mysterious and vast space. However, the scale of the universe is so large that we have to measure distances using light years. Light-years, on the other hand, refers to the distance that light travels in a year in a vacuum, which is about 9.46 trillion kilometers. Even Proxima Centauri, our closest star, is 4.3 light-years away. This means that even if we fly in the fastest spaceship currently available, it will take tens of thousands of years to get there. Such a long time has left us feeling helpless and frustrated about interstellar travel. So, is there a way for us to reach distant galaxies in our lifetimes? The answer is yes, and that's a warp engine. The warp engine is an imaginary faster-than-light flight device that allows a spacecraft to travel faster than the speed of light without violating the laws of physics. In this issue, let's talk about the sci-fi warp engine.
The prototype of the warp engine can actually be traced back to the fifties of the last century, in 1957 Germany physicist Kerhard · Heim proposed a physical framework called "Heim Theory", trying to solve the contradiction between quantum mechanics and relativity with a six-dimensional space-time structure. Although this theory is not widely accepted in the scientific community, it has caused a strong response among science fiction enthusiasts, laying the theoretical foundation for the concept of warp engines in science fiction works. The warp engine has been used in science fiction films, especially the Enterprise spacecraft in the "Star Trek" film series. Enterprise uses the energy released by antimatter fuel to alter the geometry of the surrounding space, allowing it to fly faster than the speed of light. According to the film's description, the Enterprise is capable of traveling at speeds of up to 9,000 times faster than the speed of light, which means that where it would take light 9,000 years to reach, the Enterprise can do in just one year. This feat of transcending the speed of light has led the trend in the science fiction film industry and has also sparked more interest and expectation for warp engines. So, is there a more scientific theory to support it?
In 1994, Mexico physicist Miguel · Cuberi proposed a mathematical model of space-time called the Accuberi gauge based on general relativity, which envisaged that a spacecraft could distort the space around it in a specific way during its voyage: compressing the space in front and stretching the space behind. The ship itself is surrounded by an undistorted "warp bubble", which is stationary relative to the surrounding space due to the fact that the ship is always in this curvature bubble formed by distorted space-time. The wonderful thing about this mechanic is that the ship does not seem to actually move, but rather "flows" through the distortion of space. The way this spacecraft travels is similar to a person walking on an escalator, and although the person walks slowly on the escalator, the escalator moves very fast. Similarly, Akuberi's model allows the spacecraft to visually move faster than the speed of light through the compression and stretching of space, when in fact, the spacecraft does not exceed the limit of the speed of light. During the voyage of such a spacecraft, there will be no effects such as slow clock shrinkage and mass increase in special relativity, because the spacecraft itself does not really move, but uses space-time distortion to achieve rapid movement. This allows the spacecraft to accelerate itself an infinite number of times, making it appear to be moving faster than light.
If the warp engine could be applied to a spacecraft to make it ten times faster than the speed of light, then in just 155 days, we could reach Proxima Centauri, which is 4.3 light-years away from Earth. There may be a potentially habitable planet in this star system, and scientists speculate that it will become humanity's first exocolony. If we were faster, say a hundred times faster than the speed of light, it would take just 90 days to reach the Gliese 581 galaxy, which is 25 light-years away from Earth. One of the planets in this galaxy is considered to be the most habitable exoplanet known to be inhabitable, and it is assumed that if we could reach a speed of 1,000 times the speed of light, it would take us only four years to reach the Eagle Nebula, which is 4,000 light-years away. The Eagle Nebula is a huge and beautiful star-forming region filled with countless newborn stars and planets. The magnificent scenery and abundant astronomical resources here will provide endless possibilities for future astronomical research and interstellar exploration. While the warp engine sounds amazing, there are huge technical and theoretical challenges to achieving it. One of the biggest challenges is negative energy density.
Negative energy density is an energy state whose energy is lower than that of a vacuum. Negative energy density is a core element of the warp engine, as it is able to create a reverse gravitational effect, allowing for spatial distortion and rapid movement. However, in nature, negative energy density is extremely rare and unstable, and no reliable and effective method has been found to generate and maintain negative energy density. So far, scientists have only observed the presence of negative energy density in a phenomenon called the Casimir effect. The Casimir effect states that when two parallel metal plates are very close together, there is an attraction between them, which is caused by the fact that the vacuum energy between the metal plates is lower than the vacuum energy outside the metal plate. This means that there is a negative energy density between the metal plates. However, the negative energy density produced by the Casimir effect is very weak and is nowhere near enough to drive a warp engine. According to Akuberi's estimates, for a spacecraft to travel ten times faster than the speed of light, the negative energy density required is equivalent to converting Jupiter's mass into energy entirely.
This is an extremely large energy requirement that is far beyond the scope of our existing technology. Despite the technical difficulties associated with the implementation of the warp engine, that doesn't mean it can't be realized. In fact, warp engines have attracted more and more attention and research. Back in 1996, NASA included the Accuberido gauge in its Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program. The program aims to explore new physical phenomena and technologies that may enable interstellar flight. Although the program was cancelled in 2002, the study of the Akuberi gauge did not stop there. Many scientists and engineers continue to delve into this theory. Among them, United States physicist Harold · White proposed an improved version of the Accuberi gauge in 2010, called the White gauge. The key improvement to the Whitescale gauge was the reduction of the negative energy density required for the warp engine, which reduced the negative energy density requirement from the mass of Jupiter to the mass of the solar sail. This improvement by Wright makes the implementation of a warp engine look more feasible. To further this research, White has also set up a dedicated laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center to conduct experiments and tests on warp engines. While these experiments were still in their infancy, White's work brought new hope and direction to the future development of warp engines.
While the concept of a warp engine is full of science fiction, the science behind it is a real and serious area of study. Future technological advances may be able to help us overcome current obstacles and realize the dream of interstellar travel. At that time, humanity will no longer be limited to the solar system, but will be able to explore and settle in distant galaxies and nebulae, opening a new era of the universe. What do you think about this? Welcome to the discussion, thank you for watching, I am exploring the universe, we will see you next time.