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Various hypotheses and theories have been proposed explaining the underlying physics for how the EmDrive and related designs might be producing thrust. Shawyer claims that thrust is caused by a radiation pressure imbalance between the two faces of the cavity caused by the action of group velocity in different frames of reference within the framework of special relativity.[19] Yang from NWPU calculated the net force/thrust using classical electromagnetism.[12]

Harold G. "Sonny" White, who investigates field propulsion at Eagleworks, NASA's Advanced Propulsion Physics Laboratory, speculated that such resonant cavities may operate by creating a virtual plasma toroid that could realize net thrust using magnetohydrodynamic forces acting upon quantum vacuum fluctuations.[20]

Likewise, the paper describing the Eagleworks test of the Cannae drive referred to a possible interaction with a so-called "quantum vacuum virtual plasma".[14] This reference has been criticized by mathematical physicists John Baez and Sean M. Carroll because in the standard description of vacuum fluctuations, virtual particles do not behave as a plasma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EmDrive

16 posted on 05/01/2015 5:52:24 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin
Harold G. "Sonny" White, who investigates field propulsion at Eagleworks, NASA's Advanced Propulsion Physics Laboratory, speculated that such resonant cavities may operate by creating a virtual plasma toroid that could realize net thrust using magnetohydrodynamic forces acting upon quantum vacuum fluctuations.[20]

After reading that, I was suddenly reminded of the thrusters allegedly being used by these "top-secret" TR3 craft, which supposedly have some kind of propulsion using mercury plasma accelerated in magnetic fields to extremely high speeds, and even producing some kind of relativistic mass-reducing effect along the way.

I wonder if this Emdrive could be tangentially related to that sort of propulsion?

On another note, it would be very odd to see this technology developed successfully, and go into widespread use, all the while with no scientific explanation for why it works!

Interesting times...

40 posted on 05/02/2015 1:04:04 AM PDT by sargon
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