It sounds like science fiction material, but it is capable of spacecraft traveling at close distances, according to one leading scientist.
In a recent study, physicist Dr. Erik Lentz explained a way in which a rocket could travel theoretically faster than light – or more than 186,000 miles per second.
At that speed, astronomers were able to reach other star systems in a matter of years, allowing humanity to colonize distant planets.
Conventional rocket technology would take about 6,300 years to reach Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our sun.
So-called “close-ups” have been suggested before, but they often rely on theoretical systems that break the laws of physics.
That’s because according to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, it is physically impossible for anything to travel faster than the speed of light.
Dr. Lentz, a scientist at the University of Göttingen in Germany, says his close-minded thought would operate within the confines of physics.
While other theories rely on “exotic” concepts, such as negative energy, he gets around this problem by using new theoretical elements.
These hyper-fast “solitons” can travel at any speed while complying with the laws of physics, according to a press release from the University of Göttingen.
A soliton – also known as a “dense bubble” – is a dense wave that acts as particles while maintaining its shape and moving at a constant speed.
Dr. Lentz said he refined his theory after examining existing research and found gaps in previous close-up driving studies.
He believes that solitons can travel faster than light and “create classical plasma and electromagnetic fields”.
Both of these concepts are understood under conventional physics and adhere to Einstein’s theory of relativity.
While its close movement offers an exciting opportunity to travel faster than light, it is still very much at the forefront of thought for now.
The shortening required a lot of energy that is not possible with modern technology.
“Energy savings have to be very poor, with around 30 orders of magnitude to be in a range of modern nuclear emission reactors,” said Dr. Lentz.
“Fortunately, previous research has suggested a number of energy saving methods that can reduce the energy required by almost 60 orders of magnitude. ”
The astronaut said he would now focus his efforts on cooking a working version of the technology.
“This work has moved the problem of faster-than-light travel one step away from theoretical study in basic physics and closer to engineering,” said Dr. Lentz.
“The next step is to find out how you can bring down the astronomical energy required within the range of modern technologies, such as today’s large-scale nuclear power plant. today. Then we can talk about building the first prototypes. ”
The research was published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.