This is how we can travel faster than light speed | faster than light travel | warp drive | wormhole

Faster than light travel has always been our dream. This would add a big contribution to our knowledge about our solar system. We would be able to go to many planets, distant stars and even to nearby galaxy, if we would succeed in travelling faster than light. We could go to sun in less than 8 minutes, though we won’t survive the solar heat that’s a different issue. We could visit mars in 12.5 minutes and to the nearest star Alpha Century in less than 4.22 years. We have seen faster than light travels in movies, but Is faster than light travel really possible? The answer has puzzled all of us. Whenever we try to cross the barrier of the speed of light, Albert Einstein comes and reminds us of his theory of relativity.

What do theory of relativity say on faster than speed of light travel?

According to special theory of relativity, no matter or information can travel faster than the speed of light. It also tells that only massless particles, like photons, can travel at the speed of light. It is not possible, according to theory of relativity, for mass bearing particles to travel at the speed of light, faster than light is impossible. But why? There is one main reason, the special theory of relativity tells that as we approach nearer to the speed of light, particle’s mass increases. On achieving the speed of light, the mass of the particle approaches infinity, which is beyond imagination. Hence, travelling faster than light speed is not feasible physically and thought to be impossible. 

But there is an event which is happening faster than light speed… 

Faster than light expansion 

We know that our universe came into existence after the big-bang. The early universe was very hot and hence expanded. Since then universe is expanding. To our surprise, the rate of expansion of universe is faster than the speed of light. How is it even possible? Doesn’t this violate theory of relativity? 

The theory of relativity says that no matter or information can travel faster than light speed. When we say universe is expanding, we mean that the distance between the stars is increasing. In other words, the space between the stars is increasing. This is well known fact that the space consists neither matter nor information. So, this doesn’t violate the theory of relativity. Hence expansion of universe at the rate faster than the speed of light is allowed according to relativity. 

This is the basic principle behind travelling faster than light speed…

How can we travel faster than light? 

According to general relativity, space is defined as a fabric which bends when massive object is placed on it. This can be used to stretch, contract or rip the 

space.

Theoretically, we have 2 most popular approaches to achieve faster than light speed: -

1. Stretching space: -

We know from previous section that space can expand faster than light. Hence, the stars and planets are moving away from each other faster than light. This fact can be used to stretch or contract the space and push the spacecraft. 

2.Ripping the space: -

This approach is most popularly known as wormhole. In 1916, the concept of wormhole was given by Albert Einstein. Wormhole is, basically, the bridge connecting 2 distant points in the universe with each other. 

We will discuss the application of these 2 approaches in detail in the next sections. Before looking into these ways, we need to know about negative mass and negative energy….

Negative mass 

Normally we have positive mass. We say, “my mass is 60 kg” and not “my mass is minus 60 kg”. There is a concept which involves negative mass. We use this to solve some problems in mechanics. Those are just to make problem simple and we are told, “there is nothing like negative mass”. But physicist have defined negative mass and they are searching for its existence. 

Negative mass has completely different properties than normal mass: -

• It is lighter than everything we see around us. 

• It floats in space as it is lighter than everything.

• It repels instead of attracting. 

If negative mass ever existed it would not be found on Earth. It must have moved away from the Earth deep into the space, as it repels instead of attracting. This makes it difficult to detect. 

Negative energy 

The negative energy was also a concept introduced to explain some force field like the gravitational force field. But in 1948, it was confirmed and measured in lab. Now negative energy is a proven concept and not just a mere a theory. Negative energy basically gives the force field attractive property. 

How can we detect negative mass? 

The method to detect negative mass is to use Einstein lens (also called gravitational lens). Again, according to relativity, light bends around a star or galaxy because of its gravity. This property is similar to that observed with lens. Lens also bends the light and that helps in locating distant object. In 1979, first Einstein lens was observed. This lens can be used to detect the negative mass in the universe with the help of Hubble’s telescope. The quest for negative mass is continued.

WARP DRIVE 

This is a spacecraft based on the idea of stretching of space. It was suggested by Miguel Alcubierre in 1994. It is a device which can achieve faster than light speed. The key concept behind its working is negative energy and negative mass. Warp drive is like a bubble. The space in front of the warp need to be contracted and the space behind the warp needs to be expanded or stretched. In this way space could be stretched and faster than light travel could be made possible.

Problem with Warp drive 

• The crew inside the bubble would be 

disconnected from outside world

• There would be no communication of the base station with the crew inside the warp 

• The crew would not be able to change the direction and speed according to their will

• The negative mass required is not yet found 

This is a theoretical spacecraft. It is not yet prepared and we don’t even have the technology to do so.

Wormhole 

This is based on ripping of space concept. The mathematicians call it as “multiply connected space”. This is the shortest distance between any two points in space. In 1916, Einstein gave the concept of 

wormhole.

Ifa person falls into the blackhole then he would go to another universe. The blackhole would act like a bridge called Einstein-Rosen bridge or wormhole. Do blackholes form naturally? 

J.R. Oppenheimer and his student Hartland Snyder discovered a way in which stars get converted into blackhole naturally. The star which has used all its fuel starts contracting and soon collapses due to its own gravity. The gravity compresses the star within its event horizon, giving rise to a blackhole. 

Blackholes are detected, but wormholes are not yet discovered. Wormholes can allow faster than light travel. In order to return safely we need to find transverse able wormhole, which would allow 2-way trip. 

Challenges with wormhole

* To create a violent distortion in space-time to create a wormhole, we would need tremendous amount of positive as well as negative matter (of the order of huge star). 

For example, In-order to create a 1-meter long wormhole, we would need negative mass equal to mass of Jupiter. 

* The gravity would be so strong that it would destroy the wormhole 

* The  gravity and radiation inside the wormhole would kill the astronauts trying to reach the other side 

* in order to hold open the wormhole of a size needed for human to travel, our present-day technology is not enough. 

* The wormhole, if formed, would not be stable. It would get closed as soon as it is opened. 

These were some of the possibilities of faster than light travel. If any of these works then it would bring revolutionary changes in our space exploration process. But it would need few more centuries to make this a reality. Science has made many impossible things possible, so why not faster than light travel?

Thank you for reading till the end. What do you think about this?

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