Detailed study of null and timelike geodesics in the Alcubierre warp spacetime

DOI10.1007/S10714-011-1289-0MaRDI QIDQ664453zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Thomas Müller, Daniel Weiskopf

Publication date 2 March 2012

Published in General Relativity and Gravitation (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1107.5650

zbMATH Keywords

Alcubierre warp spacetimeNon-affinely parametrized geodesicsRelativistic visualization

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Physics, astronomy, technology, engineering (aspects of mathematics education) (97M50)

Abstract: The Alcubierre warp spacetime yields a fascinating chance for comfortable interstellar travel between arbitrary distant places without the time dilation effect as in special relativistic flights. Even though the warp spacetime needs exotic matter for its construction and is thus far from being physically feasible, it offers a rich playground for studying geodesics in the general theory of relativity. This paper is addressed to graduate students who have finished a first course in general relativity to give them a deeper inside in the calculation of non-affinely parametrized null and time-like geodesics and a straightforward approach to determine the gravitational lensing effect due to curved spacetime by means of the Jacobi equation. Both topics are necessary for a thorough discussion of the visual effects as observed by a traveller inside the warp bubble or a person looking from outside. The visual effects of the traveller can be reproduced with an interactive Java application.

Recommendations

• Null geodesics in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime: the view from the bridge
• Warp drive with zero expansion
• Charged dust solutions for the warp drive spacetime
• A discussion of space-time metric engineering
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Cites work

• \texttt{GeodesicViewer} -- a tool for exploring geodesics in the theory of relativity
• A `warp drive' with more reasonable total energy requirements
• Fundamental limitations on ‘warp drive’ spacetimes
• General Relativity
• Null geodesics in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime: the view from the bridge
• Numerical recipes in C++. The art of scientific computing
• Quantum effects in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime
• Relativity. Special, general, and cosmological
• The unphysical nature of `warp drive'
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Cited in

(8)

• A discussion of space-time metric engineering
• Quantum tunneling and quasinormal modes in the spacetime of the alcubierre warp drive
• START in a five-dimensional conformal domain
• Null geodesics in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime: the view from the bridge
• Exactly solvable 2D model for photon propagation in curved space: loss of interference and Bell inequality violation
• Hamiltonian dynamics of a spaceship in Alcubierre and Gödel metrics: recursion operators and underlying master symmetries
• Visualization and analysis of the curvature invariants in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime
• Exploring particle geodesics in a warp drive spacetime

Describes a project that uses

Uses Software

• GeodesicViewer
• Motion4D
• GSL

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