Egyptian Teenager Invents New Space Propulsion System Based On Quantum Physics

[tabatha]

BY MARIO AGUILAR MAY 29, 2012 8:00 PM 77,768 156 Share


Precocious young physicist Aisha Mustafa just patented a new system that could propel spacecrafts to the final frontier without using a drop of fuel.

In short her system taps one of the odder facets of quantum theory, which posits that space isn't really a vacuum. It's really filled with particles and anti-particles that exist for infinitesimally small periods of time before destroying each other. Mustafa thinks she can harness them to create propulsion, resulting in space craft that need little-to-no fuel to maneuver around in space.

Fast Company reports:

Mustafa invented a way of tapping this quantum effect via what's known as the dynamic Casimir effect. This uses a "moving mirror" cavity, where two very reflective very flat plates are held close together, and then moved slightly to interact with the quantum particle sea. It's horribly technical, but the end result is that Mustafa's use of shaped silicon plates similar to those used in solar power cells results in a net force being delivered. A force, of course, means a push or a pull and in space this equates to a drive or engine.

http://gizmodo.com/5914102/awesome-teenager-invents-a-new-form-of-quantum-space-travel

Two articles about "woman power" in the ME.

[Electric Monk]

1. Get back to me when she has a working prototype

[Confusious]

2. The Casimir effect is very weak

Neat idea, but I don't see it doing much.

[longship]

3. Beat me to it

I understand that the idea would be applied in applications like a station keeping thruster where small thrust is useful. But even then, damn the casimir effect is teeny tiny. How big would the plates have to be to be useful?

[Kablooie]

5. The JPL Dawn mission uses ion propulsion engines

And the thrust is about as strong as the weight is 1 sheet of paper.
Over time it builds up and has sent the Dawn spacecraft to the asteroid belt.
So weak thrust is still useful in the depths of space.

[JCMach1]

6. Exactly...

Useful for deep space, long haul flights...

[Ratty]

9. It's unusable energy

I call bullshit.

[aquart]

4. HER?

[progressoid]

7. Oh yeah?

Well, I made a balsa airplane when I was a kid.

So there.

[DetlefK]

8. Topic was already posted last week. I have doubts whether it would work.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12286767

Put very short: The Casimir-effect is between to planes and results (in most cases) in an attractive force between said plates. You can't harness said force without kicking the system off-balance, rendering it useless.




It's really strange that they hide behind "too difficult for you to understand". The concepts of virtual particles and vacuum-fluctuation are not that tricky, especially when viewed strictly from the experimental side. I guess, that "invention" is either a mistake or a scam.

[Egalitarian Thug]

10. K&R. Thanks for posting. n/t