Post by T'Pol on Nov 2, 2002 18:01:13 GMT -5
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Sub light speed with multilightspeed distances how?
The relative-snail explanation.
The warp field that surrounds the starship is manipulated in order to alter their power and size. The aft portion of the field is made smaller and reaches out behind the starship only a few hundred meters. The aft portion stretches the fabric of space-time behind the vessel, making it larger. The forward section of the warp field becomes larger, stretching out several million meters a head of the vessel. The field then condenses or folds the space-time in front of the vessel to make the space-time in that area smaller. Therefore space and time bends much like the body of a snail to create propulsion. Once the starship has covered the condensed space in front of it the field reforms to do the same process all of again, this process is almost instantaneous and so the vessels speed and direction appears to be constant. This also means that the actual vessel is only traveling at about 0.9 of light speed and so the vessel does not need the infinite energy needed to push it beyond the light barrier. However, if an observer situated on a planet or station were to observe the vessel then it would appear to be traveling beyond the speed of light. There fore the ships speed may only be 0.9 c (‘c’ indicating light speed) but its RELATIVE speed would be [perhaps] 1516 c. (warp nine).
The Subspace explanation.
The ‘subspace’ warp fields that now surround the vessel create a ‘pocket’ of subspace in which the vessel sits. Because subspace conforms to different physical laws than our dimension then the vessel is able to use the aft section of the warp field to create a force on the aft section of the starship pushing it beyond c. Simple!
Both explanations have solid foundations in physics and yet both are completely unrealistic. Evidence from the show seems to point to both explanations, as do the tech manuals. Although the majority of people follow the ‘relative-snail’ explanation. Both explanations also explain why the warp power is needed on at all times during warp (rather than only a burst from the warp engines and then letting inertia do the rest).
Sub light speed with multilightspeed distances how?
The relative-snail explanation.
The warp field that surrounds the starship is manipulated in order to alter their power and size. The aft portion of the field is made smaller and reaches out behind the starship only a few hundred meters. The aft portion stretches the fabric of space-time behind the vessel, making it larger. The forward section of the warp field becomes larger, stretching out several million meters a head of the vessel. The field then condenses or folds the space-time in front of the vessel to make the space-time in that area smaller. Therefore space and time bends much like the body of a snail to create propulsion. Once the starship has covered the condensed space in front of it the field reforms to do the same process all of again, this process is almost instantaneous and so the vessels speed and direction appears to be constant. This also means that the actual vessel is only traveling at about 0.9 of light speed and so the vessel does not need the infinite energy needed to push it beyond the light barrier. However, if an observer situated on a planet or station were to observe the vessel then it would appear to be traveling beyond the speed of light. There fore the ships speed may only be 0.9 c (‘c’ indicating light speed) but its RELATIVE speed would be [perhaps] 1516 c. (warp nine).
The Subspace explanation.
The ‘subspace’ warp fields that now surround the vessel create a ‘pocket’ of subspace in which the vessel sits. Because subspace conforms to different physical laws than our dimension then the vessel is able to use the aft section of the warp field to create a force on the aft section of the starship pushing it beyond c. Simple!
Both explanations have solid foundations in physics and yet both are completely unrealistic. Evidence from the show seems to point to both explanations, as do the tech manuals. Although the majority of people follow the ‘relative-snail’ explanation. Both explanations also explain why the warp power is needed on at all times during warp (rather than only a burst from the warp engines and then letting inertia do the rest).
