Invoking Dr. White's "Quantum Vacuum" ideas is certainly unjustified as yet (and an easy way to confuse the issue), but Paul's exploration of M-E Effects and electrostrictive impacts from chamber metals on Jim's distribution list yesterday was MOST interesting. The fourth power scaling of M-E mathematics is killer, and the math for thrusts is within the order of magnitude for the reported performances of the various species of em-drive.GIThruster wrote:It is part of the Standard Model that virtual particles pop into and out of the quantum vacuum all the time. According to Sonny, this is where the mass comes from and where it goes. The real trouble is that these are VIRTUAL, not real particles. There are so many of them, that if they gravitated, they would cause the universe to collapse from its own gravity. Obviously, they don't gravitate, which is what makes them "virtual". However, Einstein's Equivalence Principle says that gravitational mass and inertial mass are not only indistinguishable, they are the same thing. So if virtual particles can't gravitate, they can't transfer momentum either. If they can't transfer momentum, then they can't be used for propellantless thrust. Hence our trouble. Sonny's "theory" which certainly does not rise to the level of a scientific theory, makes no sense at all as it is a denial of EEP. This is why Sean Carroll at CalTech calls it "bullshit".
Perhaps we now see an inspiration or two to significantly boost MET performance?