2021/01/31 by Osvaldo L. Santos-Pereira, Everton M. C. Abreu, Marcelo B. Ribeiro · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Einstein #Einstein field equations #Inviscid flow #Metric (unit) #Minkowski space #Perfect fluid #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Spacetime #Spherically symmetric spacetime #Tensor (intrinsic definition) #Warp drive #gr-qc #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-08921-3
published as Eur. Phys. J. C 81(2021)133 · 39 pages, 3 tables. LaTeX. Minor changes to match proofs. Accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal C
openalex created_date 2021/02/01 · openalex publication_date 2021/02/01 · arxiv created 2021/02/09 · arxiv updated 2021/02/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract The Alcubierre warp drive metric is a spacetime geometry featuring a spacetime distortion, called a warp bubble, where a massive particle inside it acquires global superluminal velocities, or warp speeds. This work presents solutions of the Einstein equations for the Alcubierre metric having fluid matter as gravity source. The energy–momentum tensor considered has two fluid contents, the perfect fluid and the parametrized perfect fluid (PPF), a tentative more flexible model whose aim is to explore the possibilities of warp drive solutions with positive matter density content. Santos-Pereira et al. (Eur Phys J C 80:786, 2020) already showed that the Alcubierre metric having dust as source connects this geometry to the Burgers equation, which describes shock waves moving through an inviscid fluid, but led the solutions back to vacuum. The same happened for two out of four solutions subcases for the perfect fluid. Other solutions for the perfect fluid indicate the possibility of warp drive with positive matter density, but at the cost of a complex solution for the warp drive regulating function. Regarding the PPF, solutions were also obtained indicating that warp speeds could be created with positive matter density. Weak, dominant, strong and null energy conditions were calculated for all studied subcases, being satisfied for the perfect fluid and creating constraints in the PPF quantities such that a positive matter density is also possible for creating a warp bubble. Summing up all results, energy–momentum tensors describing more complex forms of matter or field distributions generate solutions for the Einstein equations with the warp drive metric where a negative matter density might not be a strict precondition for attaining warp speeds.