Transcript No Slide Title

Another Approach to the Cause
of Inertia
AIAA 2002-4096
Gregory V. Meholic
[email protected]
38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana
July 8-10, 2002
February 11, 2004
Space Technologies and Applications International Forum
Albuquerque, NM
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Current Thoughts on Inertia
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What is inertia?
Resistance to [change in] motion (per Newton’s laws).
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Why do we care where it comes from?
Finding the source could lead to mitigation/reduction
techniques that would profoundly change science and
transportation.
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What do we think causes inertia?
1) an inherent property of matter - “exotic” mass
2) electromagnetic/quantum interactions with matter and the
Zero Point Field (ZPF)
3) the gravitational forces from the chiefly distant matter in the
universe - Mach’s Principle
or…
4) the reaction of the local SPACETIME medium to a disturbance
To illustrate the latter, we first need a alternative model of
spacetime and gravity…
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Tri-Space Model of Spacetime
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Ok, so what is spacetime?
Spacetime surface
EM radiation and
waves/particles
Gravity
attracts
Mass
Time lines
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Spacetime medium
(strings, quant. foam)
Spacetime “thickness”
or ZPF (?)
Spacetime is everywhere and exhibits the same qualities between
galaxies as it does between atoms.
Spacetime medium made of strings, filaments and quantum foam this is the ZPF.
It has a thickness and exhibits quasi-fluidic properties (elasticity,
viscosity, densities, etc.).
Spacetime has a surface that supports EM radiation energies.
 Includes mass energy, particles, waves, etc.
 Exhibits a surface tension-like quality
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Tri-Space Model of Gravity

Then what is the relationship between mass and gravity?

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Spacetime wants to remain “flat” (supporting a flat universe).
Large masses (non-subatomic), however, distort and displace
flat spacetime to create not one, but TWO gravitational effects:
2-D undisturbed spacetime
with a Reference Flatness
Slope of spacetime wrt ref. flatness is the
Gravity Gradient
“Steeper” angle = “Stronger” gravity effect
Spacetime Medium
Mass
2) SECONDARY GRAVITY WELL
* Familiar, weak, gravity field felt
by all other masses (per G)
* Resultant distortion of spacetime
* Observed all of the time
1) PRIMARY GRAVITY WELL
* Displaces spacetime surface in
shape of body
* Large gravity gradients
* Only observed during acceleration
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Tri-Space Model of Gravity
Why are two gravity wells needed to explain inertia?
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Having a single gravity well, as in the classical spacetime models,
does not explain why inertial forces are so strong.
This is not equal to this
Classical Representation:
Point mass in spacetime
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Tri-Space:
Two gravity effects
But the primary gravity well literally stretches the spacetime
surface, resulting in subtle changes to local characteristics.
These result in steeper gravity gradients and is why the primary
well is orders of magnitude stronger than the secondary well.
Although the primary well is never observed in a steady-state
condition (because the mass is still in it), its effects are ONLY
and ALWAYS observed during acceleration, hence…
The primary gravity well is the key to INERTIA
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Spacetime Displacement Inertia

According to Tri-Space then, how is inertia created?
The Tri-Space model allows an easy visualization of how inertia is
created as shown in a scenario for basic acceleration:
1) Force applied to a body at rest (t=0)
Secondary distortion
2) Body feels INERTIA (t>0)
F
v
F
M
Primary well
3) Velocity increases (t>>0)
Backwards tug
from primary well
4) Constant v established (t>>>0)
v
Primary well
begins to recover
Overall gravity
well broadens
Spacetime resists
displacement
v
Recovery surge
for steady-state
Inertia is the resultant effect when an object tries to climb out of its
own primary gravity well.
It is generated when spacetime resists changes in its topography.
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Spacetime Displacement Inertia

What else does this model of Inertia show?

The quasi-fluidic properties of spacetime yields a “local time lag”
for it to react to the change in position of a body.
– Analogous to Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory, but without EM
Spacetime also applies a viscous resistance that opposes motion
of a moving body.
 Bodies actually weigh less when experiencing inertia.
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– Frame 2 shows accelerating mass makes shallow primary well
– Supported by the weight fluctuation experiments of Woodward, et al.
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Bodies “appear” to have more mass when experiencing inertia.
– Frame 3 shows broader gravity well giving appearance of more mass
– Supported by Special Relativity
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Inertia is a purely local, spacetime phenomenon and is
independent of distant masses, the ZPF, other gravity sources
and EM fields.
Are gravity and inertia related?
YES!! There can be gravity without inertia,
but there can be no inertia without gravity.
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Other Inertia-Related Physics

What about inertia for small (atomic-scale) masses?
The smaller the mass, the shallower the primary gravity well.
 Atomic-scale masses do not experience inertia since they have
no primary well - they are only “floating” on the spacetime
surface.
 This allows them to experience tremendous accelerations
without affecting the underlying spacetime medium.

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What about Special Relativity?
At v~c, the body creates a standing wave of spacetime in the
path ahead responsible for relativistic mass increase.
 Constant thrust may be required to maintain such speeds in
order to overcome spacetime fluidics.

F
v~c
Observed mass seems much
larger due to huge gravity
gradient and broad gravity well
“Proper” mass
remains the same
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Other Inertia-Related Physics

How do gravity waves play a role in inertia?
They don’t. The Tri-space model does not support the long-term
propagation of gravity waves.
 Inertial “time lag” indicates that spacetime acts as a critically or
overdamped medium.
– Perturbation energies are quickly absorbed into the local
medium.
– Gravity does not create EM-like waves or propagating surface
effects, but can still be characterized by a field.

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What are gravitons?
Gravitons are formed from spacetime “connector” strings that
break during acceleration.
 They are only observable during acceleration and are quickly
absorbed back into spacetime.
 Only formed in the wake of a moving object.

Strings stretch at
mass/surface
interface
Strings break and recoil
to form graviton “loops”
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Mitigating or Reducing Inertia

How can inertia be overcome?

Reshape the Primary Gravity Well
– Emit some form of specially-conditioned radiation field* that
extends the primary well ahead of the body.
Original primary
gravity well
Extended primary
gravity well
F
Specially-conditioned
EM field

Artificial Reduction of Mass
– Increase the local surface energy density such that spacetime
redistributes its energy and thinks the mass is less.
– Results in reduced displacement resistance.
Low surface density,
Steep gravity gradient,
Deep primary well
High surface density,
Shallow gradient,
Shallow primary well
* Froning, Jr., H. D., Barrett, T., and Hathaway, G., “Experiments Involving Specially Conditioned EM Radiation, Gravitation and Matter,” AIAA Paper 98-3138,
34th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Cleveland Ohio, July 13-15, 1998.
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Summary
 The ideas presented here are according to the Tri-Space model of
spacetime and gravity.
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Mostly speculation based on current physics and scientific observations.
Need to expand concepts into mathematics for better definition.
Meholic, G., “Beyond the Light Barrier: A Concept for Superluminal Travel,” AIAA
Paper 98-3410, 34th JPC
Has quasi-fluidic properties that combine to offer a “time lag” and resistance
when a body changes position in space.
Has a “surface” on which EM radiation resides.
Gravitational potential from geometric distortions in spacetime can be quite
strong and easy to create.
A massive body creates a primary gravity well and a secondary distortion.
Gravity can exist without inertia, but inertia can not exist without gravity.
Inertia is the resultant effect when an object tries to climb out of its own
primary gravity well.
Inertia is purely a local spacetime phenomenon and is independent of distant
masses, the ZPF, other gravity sources and EM fields.
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