Alcubierre metric
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The Alcubierre metric, sometimes known as the Alcubierre Drive (metric) or the Warp Drive spacetime, is a solution of the field equations of general relativity that is used to model faster-than-light travel. The particular form of the metric that Miguel Alcubierre (1994) studied in some detail is given by
- <math>ds^2 = dx^2 + dy^2 + dz^2 - 2v_s(t)f(r_s(t))\,dx\,dt + \left(v_s(t)^2 f(r_s(t)) -1\right)\,dt^2<math>
where
- <math>v_s(t)=\frac{dx_s(t)}{dt}<math>
and
- <math>r_s(t)=[(x-x_s(t))^2+y^2+z^2]^{1/2}.<math>
For the definition of the function <math>f<math>, and the physical properties of this metric, see the article Alcubierre drive.