More Traveller Engineering
Let us refer to my previous post where I described how a fictional space engine from the Traveller role playing game might actually operate.
Recently, I tried to woo myself asleep one night and concentrated on the nature of space. Space is a vacuum, a void, devoid of matter, except in the most elementary sense. The space between galaxies would be difficult to even find dust. However, there are distantly separated photons and other basic particles. But, for argument sake, it is empty. But what if it wasn't? What if it is just that we cannot yet sense the "matter" that makes up the emptiness of the universe? What form would that take? There is an answer. Theoretically, that is.
There has been a recent article that describes space as being filled with a dark matter superfluid. This theory fits very nicely into my subspace supercavitation concept. By giving your craft a boost in the right direction just as the jump bubble forms, you effectively create a mobile miniature universe that doesn't interact with the one you departed and doesn't seem to follow the rules. But all things are relative and your miniature universe is following the same rules as the one you departed. Given the destination, accounting for inertia and mass of the spacecraft, you wind up in jump about a week as your bubble rides on, and is propelled by, the superfluid of the void between masses. The superfluid begins to thin and your bubble rapidly depletes until you pop back into the known universe at around 100 diameters from the target mass.
If a mass happens to be in your path, such as a rogue planet, then you miss your target as you hit the 100 diameter mark and wind up near the hidden mass.
But why always a week? Because size does matter... engine size. As well as the mass of your ship and the amount of hydrogen required to sustain a subspace bubble. Like I said, your physics doesn't change. It is just odd how the equations seem to work out like that.
That is a lot of hand waving, though. I'll work on it and let you know.
Recently, I tried to woo myself asleep one night and concentrated on the nature of space. Space is a vacuum, a void, devoid of matter, except in the most elementary sense. The space between galaxies would be difficult to even find dust. However, there are distantly separated photons and other basic particles. But, for argument sake, it is empty. But what if it wasn't? What if it is just that we cannot yet sense the "matter" that makes up the emptiness of the universe? What form would that take? There is an answer. Theoretically, that is.
There has been a recent article that describes space as being filled with a dark matter superfluid. This theory fits very nicely into my subspace supercavitation concept. By giving your craft a boost in the right direction just as the jump bubble forms, you effectively create a mobile miniature universe that doesn't interact with the one you departed and doesn't seem to follow the rules. But all things are relative and your miniature universe is following the same rules as the one you departed. Given the destination, accounting for inertia and mass of the spacecraft, you wind up in jump about a week as your bubble rides on, and is propelled by, the superfluid of the void between masses. The superfluid begins to thin and your bubble rapidly depletes until you pop back into the known universe at around 100 diameters from the target mass.
If a mass happens to be in your path, such as a rogue planet, then you miss your target as you hit the 100 diameter mark and wind up near the hidden mass.
But why always a week? Because size does matter... engine size. As well as the mass of your ship and the amount of hydrogen required to sustain a subspace bubble. Like I said, your physics doesn't change. It is just odd how the equations seem to work out like that.
That is a lot of hand waving, though. I'll work on it and let you know.