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arXiv · 2207.06458

Warp Drive Aerodynamics

Carlos Barceló·Valentin Boyanov·Luis J. Garay·Eduardo Martín-Martínez·Jose M. Sánchez Velázquez
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Abstract

In this work we analyse the potential for a warp drive spacetime to develop instabilities due to the presence of quantum matter. Particularly, we look for points of infinite blueshift (which are analogous to points of a black hole inner horizon, known for its semiclassical instability), and categorise them through the behaviour of geodesics in their vicinity. We find that warp-drive bubbles in dimension 2+1 or higher are in fact likely to be stable, as they generally contain only isolated points where divergences are approached, leading to a finite limit for the overall accumulation of destabilising energy. Furthermore, any semiclassical instabilities in the warp drive due to energy-density buildups can be further diminished with particular, more ``aerodynamic" shapes and trajectories for the drive.

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Carlos Barceló, Valentin Boyanov, Luis J. Garay, Eduardo Martín-Martínez, Jose M. Sánchez Velázquez. 2022-07-13. Warp Drive Aerodynamics. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep08(2022)288

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