Re: starship-design: Uh Oh, a problem

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: kyle <stk@sunherald.infi.net>
> 
> I went back and did some calculations, and found that my specifications
> on the NEGATIVE gravity part of the FTL drive were _more or less_
> correct. But I found a problem: You need an equal positive gravity
> source at the front. How do you make positive gravity? With mass. How
> much mass at the front do you need to accelerate at 1 g? ONE EARTH!
>
Not exactly.
It can be much smaller, only more condensed (e.g., neutronium).
However, see below...

> SHAPED according to the necessary warp geometry. Even if you attached
> phobos to the front, shaped it and flew the ship, it would take 250
> years round trip to tau ceti and back. You would have so little
> acceleration that you would never get near lightspeed. Wouldn't it be
> nice if you could move yourself at superluminal speed with just negative
> gravity generation? But it could be dangerous. What if you hit
> something? What if your ZPQF generator got out of whack? Any ideas on
> these or moving negative mass around? Then what happens when you touch
> negative mass? Tidal distortions, and everthing else starts up when you
> throw the switch, and all hell breaks loose. Now you have no ship, no
> crew, no money, no mission. 
>
Exactly. Ditto with the "positive" condenced mass above.

> I don't like that at all. Any ideas are
> welcome.
> 
See "Dragon's Egg" by R.L. Forward for interesting ideas 
on compensating tidal gravity effects.

-- Zenon