Woodward effect
Encyclopedia
The Woodward effect is a hypothesis proposed by James F. Woodward, a physicist
at California State University, Fullerton
, that energy-storing ions experience transient mass fluctuations when accelerated. While some have expressed doubt about this hypothesis, no respected theoreticians have yet disproved it. If these doubts are unfounded it is conceivable that the Woodward effect could be exploited in spacecraft engines that would not have to expel matter to accelerate. Several groups of researchers have therefore conducted experiments designed to prove or disprove the existence of the effect. The subject has even been lampooned in a cartoon.
design is that they must either expel matter to accelerate, rely on the pressure of the stellar wind
or rely on planets to provide gravity assist. Rocket propellant
s will eventually run out, and the stellar wind and planets can only be used within a Planetary system
. If a spacecraft is to keep accelerating as it travels further into interstellar space
, it needs some other motive force.
If the Woodward effect were real, and if an engine could be designed to exploit it, the basic concept would be that the engine would pull ions when their mass was lower, and push them when it was higher. The result would be steady acceleration. Mach's Principle
says that inertia (i.e. resistance to acceleration) is caused by the mutual gravitational attraction of all matter in the universe. Thus, if the mass of a given object can be varied while being oscillated either in a linear or orbital path, such that the mass is high while the mass is moving in one direction and low while moving back, then the net effect should be acceleration in one direction as the inertial drag of the universe upon the object varies as its mass varies. Woodward claims to have accomplished this by taking advantage of the demonstrated fact that the mass of a capacitor will change with its charge.
Woodward has published a paper on the effect that was presented at the NASA
Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Workshop in 1997 and is available on his university's website and has applied for a patent on engines based on the effect. This has generated some interest in the media.
that theoretically, if the device can be built robust enough to handle sufficient amounts of power, the device should be able to generate wormholes with flat enough throats to resemble stargates seen in Stargate SG-1
and other science fiction, enabling instant transit between points in space-time.
says that inertia results from the gravitational influence of the entire universe upon any given mass that creates resistance to its acceleration, that any device that enables mass fluctuations to derive acceleration in this manner is using the mass of the universe as the reaction mass. The local universe is the "system" in this device, and thus momentum is conserved. No explanation is given regarding the nonlocality of such an effect, and it may conflict with special relativity
.
on 4 September 2001 raised serious doubts about the mathematical foundations of Woodward's theory, noted that his experimental results can be explained in terms of force contributions due to time varying thermal expansion, and stated that a laboratory demonstration produced 100 times the Woodward effect without resort to non-Newtonian explanations. Whealton's math, however, has been criticized by Woodward as demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the effect.
's formulation of Mach's principle
, a rather vague concept propounded by the philosopher Ernst Mach
which Albert Einstein
viewed as something along the lines of "inertia originates in a kind of interaction between bodies". Woodward uses the term "Mach Effect" for his hypothesis. The fluctuations in mass are hypothesized to result from gravity / inertia-based Wheeler-Feynman radiation reactions.
The hypothesis is also related to the Nordtvedt effect
proposed by Kenneth L. Nordtvedt from Montana State University
, who observed that some theories of gravity suggest that massive bodies should fall at different rates depending upon their gravitational self-energy
. This would violate the strong equivalence principle that the laws of gravitation are independent of velocity and location, a principle considered fundamental by many theoretical physicists. The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment
has shown that if the Nordtvedt effect exists at all, it is extremely weak.
These results should, of course, be considered in the light of J.H. Whealton's previously cited (and previously criticized) report.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
at California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
, that energy-storing ions experience transient mass fluctuations when accelerated. While some have expressed doubt about this hypothesis, no respected theoreticians have yet disproved it. If these doubts are unfounded it is conceivable that the Woodward effect could be exploited in spacecraft engines that would not have to expel matter to accelerate. Several groups of researchers have therefore conducted experiments designed to prove or disprove the existence of the effect. The subject has even been lampooned in a cartoon.
Spacecraft Engine Concept
A basic problem with spacecraftSpacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
design is that they must either expel matter to accelerate, rely on the pressure of the stellar wind
Stellar wind
A stellar wind is a flow of neutral or charged gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star. It is distinguished from the bipolar outflows characteristic of young stars by being less collimated, although stellar winds are not generally spherically symmetric.Different types of stars have...
or rely on planets to provide gravity assist. Rocket propellant
Rocket propellant
Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot...
s will eventually run out, and the stellar wind and planets can only be used within a Planetary system
Planetary system
A planetary system consists of the various non-stellar objects orbiting a star such as planets, dwarf planets , asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and cosmic dust...
. If a spacecraft is to keep accelerating as it travels further into interstellar space
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
, it needs some other motive force.
If the Woodward effect were real, and if an engine could be designed to exploit it, the basic concept would be that the engine would pull ions when their mass was lower, and push them when it was higher. The result would be steady acceleration. Mach's Principle
Mach's principle
In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, Mach's principle is the name given by Einstein to an imprecise hypothesis often credited to the physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach....
says that inertia (i.e. resistance to acceleration) is caused by the mutual gravitational attraction of all matter in the universe. Thus, if the mass of a given object can be varied while being oscillated either in a linear or orbital path, such that the mass is high while the mass is moving in one direction and low while moving back, then the net effect should be acceleration in one direction as the inertial drag of the universe upon the object varies as its mass varies. Woodward claims to have accomplished this by taking advantage of the demonstrated fact that the mass of a capacitor will change with its charge.
Woodward has published a paper on the effect that was presented at the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Workshop in 1997 and is available on his university's website and has applied for a patent on engines based on the effect. This has generated some interest in the media.
Wormholes and Stargates
Woodward has stated on The Space ShowThe Space Show
The Space Show is a biweekly radio talk show, presented by Dr. David Livingston, about space commerce and exploration that is also available archived online as a podcast....
that theoretically, if the device can be built robust enough to handle sufficient amounts of power, the device should be able to generate wormholes with flat enough throats to resemble stargates seen in Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and other science fiction, enabling instant transit between points in space-time.
Conservation of Momentum
One typical criticism is the claim that the Woodward Effect violates Conservation of Momentum and thus is a form of Perpetual Motion Machine. Woodward answers this by explaining that as Mach's PrincipleMach's principle
In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, Mach's principle is the name given by Einstein to an imprecise hypothesis often credited to the physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach....
says that inertia results from the gravitational influence of the entire universe upon any given mass that creates resistance to its acceleration, that any device that enables mass fluctuations to derive acceleration in this manner is using the mass of the universe as the reaction mass. The local universe is the "system" in this device, and thus momentum is conserved. No explanation is given regarding the nonlocality of such an effect, and it may conflict with special relativity
Special relativity
Special relativity is the physical theory of measurement in an inertial frame of reference proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in the paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies".It generalizes Galileo's...
.
Mathematical Disagreements
A paper by J.H. Whealton published by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical InformationOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
The Office of Scientific and Technical Information is a component of the Office of Science within the U.S. Department of Energy...
on 4 September 2001 raised serious doubts about the mathematical foundations of Woodward's theory, noted that his experimental results can be explained in terms of force contributions due to time varying thermal expansion, and stated that a laboratory demonstration produced 100 times the Woodward effect without resort to non-Newtonian explanations. Whealton's math, however, has been criticized by Woodward as demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the effect.
Related Theory
Woodward's hypothesis is related to Dennis William SciamaDennis William Sciama
Dennis William Siahou Sciama FRS was a British physicist who, through his own work and that of his students, played a major role in developing British physics after the Second World War. He is considered as one of the fathers of modern cosmology.-Life:Sciama was born in Manchester, England...
's formulation of Mach's principle
Mach's principle
In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, Mach's principle is the name given by Einstein to an imprecise hypothesis often credited to the physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach....
, a rather vague concept propounded by the philosopher Ernst Mach
Ernst Mach
Ernst Mach was an Austrian physicist and philosopher, noted for his contributions to physics such as the Mach number and the study of shock waves...
which Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
viewed as something along the lines of "inertia originates in a kind of interaction between bodies". Woodward uses the term "Mach Effect" for his hypothesis. The fluctuations in mass are hypothesized to result from gravity / inertia-based Wheeler-Feynman radiation reactions.
The hypothesis is also related to the Nordtvedt effect
Nordtvedt effect
In theoretical astrophysics, the Nordtvedt effect refers to the relative motion between the Earth and the Moon which would be observed if the gravitational self-energy of a body contributed to its gravitational mass but not its inertial mass...
proposed by Kenneth L. Nordtvedt from Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
, who observed that some theories of gravity suggest that massive bodies should fall at different rates depending upon their gravitational self-energy
Self-energy
In theoretical physics and quantum field theory a particle's self-energy \Sigma represents the contribution to the particle's energy, or effective mass, due to interactions between the particle and the system it is part of...
. This would violate the strong equivalence principle that the laws of gravitation are independent of velocity and location, a principle considered fundamental by many theoretical physicists. The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment
Lunar laser ranging experiment
The ongoing Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment measures the distance between the Earth and the Moon using laser ranging. Lasers on Earth are aimed at retroreflectors planted on the moon during the Apollo program, and the time for the reflected light to return is determined...
has shown that if the Nordtvedt effect exists at all, it is extremely weak.
Experiments
- In 2004, John G. Cramer, Curran W. Fey, and Damon V. Cassisi of the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
reported that they had conducted tests of Woodward's hypothesis, but that results were inconclusive.
- On January 20, 2006 Paul March and Andrew Palfreyman reported experimental results at an American Institute of PhysicsAmerican Institute of PhysicsThe American Institute of Physics promotes science, the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies...
conference. Test results exceeded Woodward's predictions by one to two orders of magnitude.
- In 2006, researchers at the Austrian Research CentersAustrian Research CentersThe Austrian Institute of Technology is an Austrian application-oriented R&D company, employing more than 850 people in various locations across Austria...
reported results of a study of the effect using a very sensitive thrust balance. Results did not seem to be in full agreement with the findings claimed by Woodward and collaborators. However, given the importance of the subject the researchers recommended further tests.
These results should, of course, be considered in the light of J.H. Whealton's previously cited (and previously criticized) report.