

Casimir Effect - infinitebattery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect

======
readerrrr
My favorite (im)plausible thruster using this effect.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_vacuum_plasma_thruster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_vacuum_plasma_thruster)

~~~
zackmorris
Ya sounds like the NASA EmDrive (possible) verification from a couple days
ago:

[http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/31/nasa-
validate...](http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/31/nasa-validates-
impossible-space-drive)

I heard about this independently from JLN Labs and other replication groups,
doing lifter experiments with asymmetric electric fields in near-vacuum:

[http://jlnlabs.online.fr](http://jlnlabs.online.fr)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G359-G4SZlE&list=FLBsZga0Y-s...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G359-G4SZlE&list=FLBsZga0Y-s2-p8HVZput4VQ)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGN65lse5yE&index=5&list=FLB...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGN65lse5yE&index=5&list=FLBsZga0Y-s2-p8HVZput4VQ)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QuHgzrPuGk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QuHgzrPuGk)

Running in the atmosphere, the electric field created between a small
conductor like a wire or point charge and the larger foil is asymmetric,
meaning that the field strength on the surface of the wire is stronger than
the electric field holding the electrons to the atoms of the gas molecules.
The molecules become ionized and get accelerated by the electric field to the
large conductor. This would ordinarily cause no net force, because the action
and reaction of the molecules bouncing off the large conductor are exactly
balanced. However, the molecules drag on the order of 100 other molecules in
the air along with them, creating a frictional force against the air and
propelling the craft forward. The most efficient lifter uses pulsed DC and is
about on par with a helicopter:

[http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/lftphv.htm](http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/lftphv.htm)

However for near-vacuum, the electric field would have to be strong enough to
separate virtual pairs, which would then be sent in opposite directions. There
would probably be no interaction with other virtual pairs, so there should be
no frictional force and no propulsion:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_polarization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_polarization)

My best guess is that if they aren’t running the experiments inside Helmholtz
Coils, then they are actually creating a homopolar motor that interacts with
Earth’s magnetic field by way of the Lorentz force, or possibly resonances set
up in the surrounding metal that create small magnetic fields:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmholtz_coil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmholtz_coil)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homopolar_motor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homopolar_motor)

The big question is, if one of these drives eventually does work, then why is
the force stronger than light pressure? I just mean that it’s straightforward
to build an accelerator that creates photons with high enough energy that they
oscillate between waves and say electrons/positrons, then separate the pairs
and fire them out the back like an ion drive. But the momentum delivered by
the energy to do that that should be less than or equal to light pressure.

I suppose if a way can be found to pull virtual pairs from the vacuum that
takes less energy than splitting photons, then a Q-thruster might work. It
would work by creating mass at one location, propelling the engine against it,
and returning the borrowed mass to the vacuum.

I know there’s a lot about quantum mechanics that I don’t understand, and
there’s probably a specific reason this won’t work (probably because virtual
pairs are created randomly and can’t be coerced into existence?) so if anyone
knows, please explain. I’ve tried to write this as scientifically as I can
because I dislike psuedoscience.

