A Light Sail Inspired Model to Harness Casimir Forces for Propellantless Propulsion

Journal Article · Thu Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3326244· OSTI ID:21370934

DeBiase, R L ^[1]

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1. DeBiase Enterprises, 203 Lindenwood Rd., Staten Island, NY 10308 (United States)

The model used to calculate Casimir forces for variously shaped conducting plates in this paper assumes the vacuum energy pervades all space and that photons randomly pop into and out of existence. While they exist, they possess energy and momentum that can be transferred by reflection as in a light sail. Quantum mechanics in the model is entirely bound up in the Casimir equation of force per unit area. This model is compared with two different experiments: that of Chen and Mohideen demonstrating lateral Casimir forces for sinusoidally corrugated spherical and flat plates and Lamoreaux demonstrating normal Casimir forces between a conducting sphere and flat plate. The calculated forces using this model were compared to the forces obtained in these experiments as well as with calculations using the proximity force approximation. In both cases the results (when compared to the actual plates measured and calculated using non-corrected equations) were less than a few parts per thousand different for the range of separation distances used. When the model was used to calculate forces on the opposite plates, different force magnitudes were obtained seemingly indicating prospects for propellentless propulsion but requiring skeptical verification.

• OSTI ID: 21370934
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1208, Issue 1; Conference: SPESIF-2010: 14. conference on thermophysics applications in microgravity;7. symposium on new frontiers in space propulsion sciences;2. symposium on astrosociology;1. symposium on high frequency gravitational waves, Huntsville, AL (United States);Huntsville, AL (United States);Huntsville, AL (United States);Huntsville, AL (United States), 24-26 Feb 2009;24-26 Feb 2009;24-26 Feb 2009;24-26 Feb 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3326244; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
42 ENGINEERING
APPROXIMATIONS
CASIMIR EFFECT
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISTANCE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTONS
PLATES
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
REFLECTION
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
BOSONS
CALCULATION METHODS
CONFIGURATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVALUATION
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MECHANICS