Warp Drive Aerodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of warp drive spacetimes against quantum matter effects, finding that higher-dimensional warp drives are likely stable and can be stabilized further with specific shapes and trajectories.

Contribution

It provides a novel analysis of warp drive stability considering quantum instabilities and proposes ways to mitigate potential semiclassical instabilities.

Findings

Warp drive bubbles in 2+1 or higher dimensions are likely stable.

Instabilities are limited to isolated points, leading to finite energy divergences.

Shape and trajectory optimization can further reduce instabilities.

Abstract

In this work we analyse the potential for a warp drive spacetime to develop instabilities due to the presence of quantum matter. Particularly, we look for points of infinite blueshift (which are analogous to points of a black hole inner horizon, known for its semiclassical instability), and categorise them through the behaviour of geodesics in their vicinity. We find that warp-drive bubbles in dimension 2+1 or higher are in fact likely to be stable, as they generally contain only isolated points where divergences are approached, leading to a finite limit for the overall accumulation of destabilising energy. Furthermore, any semiclassical instabilities in the warp drive due to energy-density buildups can be further diminished with particular, more ``aerodynamic" shapes and trajectories for the drive.