Engineering the Zero-Point Field and Polarizable Vacuum For Interstellar Flight

Abstract

A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space itself (the quantum vacuum, or space-time metric) might be manipulated so as to provide energy/thrust for future space vehicles. Although such a proposal has a certain science-fiction quality about it, modern theory describes the vacuum as a polarizable medium that sustains energetic quantum fluctuations. Thus the possibility that matter/vacuum interactions might be engineered for space-flight applications is not a priori ruled out, although certain constraints need to be acknowledged. The structure and implications of such a far-reaching hypothesis are considered herein.

Paper withdrawn. Author Ibison does not subscribe to some of the speculations in this document

References in corpus (1)

• The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Extraction of Zero-Point Energy from the Vacuum: Assessment of Stochastic Electrodynamics-Based Approach as Compared to Other Methods
• Gedanken experiments with Casimir forces, vacuum energy, and gravity
• New approach for building of unified theory about the Universe and some results
• Anomalous Effects from Dipole-Environment Quantum Entanglement
• Engineering the Quantum Foam