The Ultimate Limits of the Relativistic Rocket Equation. The Planck Photon Rocket

TL;DR

This paper explores the fundamental physical limits of photon propulsion rockets, revealing that the maximum achievable velocity is just below light speed and depends on the particle's Compton wavelength, with implications for ideal rocket design.

Contribution

It combines the relativistic rocket equation with Haug's maximum velocity insight, establishing the minimum initial load of two Planck masses for accelerating fundamental particles to their maximum speed.

Findings

Maximum velocity is just below the speed of light, dependent on particle mass.

Accelerating a Planck mass particle requires two Planck masses of initial fuel.

No additional fuel is needed to reach maximum velocity for a Planck mass particle.

Abstract

In this paper we look at the ultimate limits of a photon propulsion rocket. The maximum velocity for a photon propulsion rocket is just below the speed of light and is a function of the reduced Compton wavelength of the heaviest subatomic particles in the rocket. We are basically combining the relativistic rocket equation with Haug's new insight on the maximum velocity for anything with rest mass. An interesting new finding is that in order to accelerate any subatomic "fundamental" particle to its maximum velocity, the particle rocket basically needs two Planck masses of initial load. This might sound illogical until one understands that subatomic particles with different masses have different maximum velocities. This can be generalized to large rockets and gives us the maximum theoretical velocity of a fully-efficient and ideal rocket. Further, no additional fuel is needed to accelerate a Planck mass particle to its maximum velocity; this also might sound absurd, but it has a very simple and logical solution that is explained in this paper.