From: Blunderov (squooker@mweb.co.za)
Date: Mon Sep 23 2002 - 02:03:30 MDT
[Blunderov]
Please forgive the mass of this post but I feel that it is important.
I can't pretend to understand all of it of course, but what I do
understand seems to me to be almost literally earth-shattering!
See also: Google = Hurchinson effect
Warm regards
http://www.voy.com/93837/942.html
<snip>
Understanding Zero Point Energy
C 1999 Thomas Valone, M.A., P.E.
Integrity Research Institute, 1220 L Street NW, Suite 100, Washington,
DC 20005, 800-295-7674
Introduction
For the first time in history, a lot of media attention is being paid to
the sea of energy that pervades all of space. It just happens to be the
biggest sea of energy that is known to exist and we're floating inside
it. (Credit due to The Sea of Energy by T. Henry Moray for the idea.)
Not only is it big but its energy is estimated to exceed nuclear energy
densities, so even a small piece of it is worth its weight in gold. What
is it? Many people are not sure what "zero point energy" (ZPE) is. Most
agree that virtual particle fluctuation contributes to it and van der
Waals forces don't explain everything. Does it offer a source of
unlimited, free energy for homes, cars, and space travel? Depending on
who we talk to, ZPE can do everything and ZPE can do nothing useful. How
can the energy be converted to a usable form? What are the basic
explanations of ZPE and the new discoveries, which have rocked the U.S.
Patent Office, Physical Review Letters, Science, Scientific American,
and the New York Times? Why is ZPE implicated in the latest confirmation
of cosmological antigravity? Can the Casimir effect be a source of
energy? This article is intended to give a review of the latest
developments (as well as an introduction to the topic for those who are
non-specialists).
The Casimir Effect
Zero point energy has been called "the ultimate quantum free lunch"
(Science, Vol. 275, 1/10/97). During the early years of quantum
mechanics, Paul Dirac theorized that the vacuum was actually filled with
particles in negative energy states (Proc. R. Soc. London A, 126, 360,
1930) thus giving rise to the concept of the "physical vacuum" which is
not empty at all. Quantum mechanics also predicted that invisible
particles could become materialized for a short time and that these
virtual particle appearances should exert a force that is measurable.
Hendrik B. G. Casimir (Phys. Rev. 73, 360, 1948) not only predicted the
presence of such a force but also explained why van der Waals forces
dropped off unexpectedly at long range separation between atoms,
predicting that force F=K/d4 where K=p hc/480. Though the Casimir effect
subsequently was verified using non-conductive plates, there was always
a scientific need for a verification of the Casimir force using
conductive plates based on Casimir's 1948 paper. For the first time, Dr.
Lamoreaux, now at the Los Alamos Labs, performed the experiment with
less than one micrometer (micron) spacing between gold-plated parallel
plates attached to a torsion pendulum (Phys. Rev. Ltrs., 78, 1, 97). In
retrospect, he found it to one of the most intellectually satisfying
experiments that he ever performed since the results matched the theory
so closely (within 5%).
The Casimir effect has been posited as a force produced solely by
activity in the vacuum. The Casimir force is also very powerful at small
distances. Besides being independent of temperature, it is inversely
proportional to the fourth power of the distance between the plates!
Therefore, as the plates are brought closer, the virtual particles
outside the plates increasingly overpower the decreasing quantity of
virtual particles appearing between the plates with an exponentially
increasing force. (Also notable is the fact that its frequency
dependence is a third power and the force can be altered with
dielectrics or resonate with narrow-band mirrors-see Phys. Lett. A 225,
1997, 188-194.) Lamoreaux's results come as no surprise to anyone
familiar with quantum electrodynamics (QED), but they serve as a
material confirmation of an unusual theoretical prediction that QED
predicts the all-pervading vacuum continuously spawns particles and
waves that spontaneously pop in and out of existence. Their time of
existence is strictly limited by the uncertainty principle but they
create some havoc while they bounce around during their brief lifespan.
The churning quantum foam extends throughout the universe even filling
the empty space within the atoms. A diagram showing "The Shape of
Nothing" (The New York Times 1/21/97) is pictured to be not only
subatomic but subelementary particle in size. Physical theories predict
that on an infinitesimally small scale, far, far smaller than the
diameter of atomic nucleus, quantum fluctuations produce a foam of
erupting and collapsing, virtual particles, visualized as a topographic
distortion of the fabric of space time.
Another implication for free energy from ZPE comes from the fact that
Casimir also mentioned a three-dimensional volume effect (Physica XIX,
1956, 846). This has recently been used with the relativistic
stress-energy tensor to analyze the quantum electromagnetic field inside
any given volume. With a "relatively" simple calculation it has been
shown that as the electron density increases due to gravitational
compression, there is an energy creation. "The energy output produced by
the Casimir effect during the creation of a neutron star turns out to be
sufficient to explain nova and supernova explosions" (Sokolov, Phys.
Lett. A, 223, 1996, 163-166).
The New Scientist (July 1987, "Why Atoms Don't Collapse") gives an
impressive endorsement of the importance of ZPE:
"There is a dynamic equilibrium in which the zero-point energy
stabilises the electron in a set ground-state orbit. It seems that the
very stability of matter itself appears to depend on an underlying sea
of electromagnetic zero-point energy."
Lamb Shift
Another historically valid test in the verification of ZPE has been
what's been called the "Lamb shift." Measured by Dr. Willis Lamb in the
1940's, it actually showed the effect of zero point fluctuations on
atomic levels. The electrons are slightly shifted upwards in their
atomic orbits. (The implications of the Lamb shift were never fully
explained when I took quantum mechanics except that the professor was
forced mention God as he tried to explain the "all-pervading
electromagnetic field" which caused the problem.) Physicist Margaret
Hawton describes the Lamb shift as "a kind of one atom Casimir Effect"
(Phys. Rev. A 8/94) and predicts that the vacuum fluctuations of ZPE
need only occur in the vicinity of atoms or atomic particles, which
seems to agree with Dr. Koltick's findings cited above.
The ZPE fluctuations are fundamentally based upon the uncertainty
principle, which has been predicted to be "signed into law" someday
soon, since no violations have so far been found. Furthermore, the
majority of physicists today attribute spontaneous emission and the Lamb
shift entirely to ZPE (as noted in Hawton's paper). This may lead
everyone to believe that though it is random, it can no longer be called
"spontaneous emission" but instead should properly be labeled
"stimulated emission" much like laser light is stimulated emission, even
though there is a random quality to it. Textbooks on quantum theory
already agree with this new interpretation:
"The smallest possible energy of the field corresponds to the presence
of one-half quantum per state. This suggests that we regard the
spontaneous emission as being induced by the zero-point oscillations of
the electromagnetic field; note, however, that these oscillations are
twice as effective in producing emissive transitions as are real photons
and are of course incapable of producing absorptive transitions." -
Schiff, Quantum Mechanics, 3rd edition
The Classical Vacuum
One of the best educational viewpoints on ZPE has been given by Dr.
Timothy Boyer, in an article entitled, "The Classical Vacuum" (Sci.
Amer., 8/85, p. 70). Boyer, a well-published and highly respected
physicist, describes all of the features to be expected from ZPE
including the frequency spectrum, even in a moving reference frame, as
well as the energy and force. Boyer traces the historical "creation of
the vacuum" as proceeding in stages in parallel with the historical
development of ideas about the vacuum. To paraphrase, he says that in
the 17th century, it was thought that a totally empty volume of space
could be created by simply removing all matter and, in particular, all
gases. That was our first concept of the vacuum. Just get rid of all the
gas. Late in the 19th century, it became apparent that the region still
contained thermal radiation. But it seemed that the radiation might be
eliminated by cooling. So the second concept of getting a real vacuum is
to cool it down to zero temperature. Just go all the way to absolute
zero. Then we've got a real vacuum. Right? Well, since then, both theory
and experiment have shown that there is a non-thermal radiation in the
vacuum and that it persists even if the temperature could be lowered to
absolute zero. Therefore, it was simply called the "zero point"
radiation. Further proof is evident, as Dr. Forward points out in his
tutorial below, when physicists have cooled helium to within
microdegrees of absolute zero and still it remains a liquid! Only ZPE
can account for the source of energy is keeping helium from freezing.
Another aspect of the vacuum is that the constant virtual particle flux
of the vacuum ZPE can become less virtual (short-lived) near the
boundaries of bigger particles, with atomic number Z=137 or higher. This
is because the intense electric field gradient causes a more prodigious
decay of the vacuum when the binding energy equals or exceeds the rest
mass of the electron. Furthermore, if superheavy atoms are created with
Z=173, the binding energy then exceeds twice the rest mass of the
electron and pair production ensues with matter and anti-matter
appearing out of the vacuum. THE ELECTRON IS DRIVEN INTO THE NUCLEUS AND
SPONTANEOUS POSITRONS (ANTI-ELECTRONS) ARE PRODUCED CONSTITUTING A TRUE
SOURCE OF FREE ENERGY.*
"Paradoxically, the vacuum near an over-critical charge is a vacuum that
cannot be emptied" (Sci. Amer. Dec. 1979, p. 150).
Such a physics discovery certainly vindicates the name of Infinite
Energy magazine.
It is interesting to note that the above-mentioned phenomena was first
labeled the "Klein paradox" when the Klein-Gordon equation mysteriously
predicted the "reflection" of an electron with more energy than the
incident with a simultaneous "transmission" of the particle into a
negative kinetic energy state, only if the voltage barrier exceeded 2mc2
or twice the particle's rest mass (Klein, Z. Phys. 53, 157, 1929). In
retrospect, this paradox helped physicists decipher a free energy source
much as I hope the runaway solution of the Lorentz-Dirac equation will
do someday.
Tutorial
For those who may want more scientific detail, a tutorial and derivation
of ZPE follows. (Note: this section can be skipped with no loss of
continuity.) Dr. Hal Puthoff, in his papers, discusses the fact that the
existence of the electromagnetic zero point fluctuations is a clear
prediction from quantum theory resulting from quantization. Basically,
quantum mechanics just simply deals with compartmentalizing energy and
compartmentalizing matter. So really what we're talking about, is
"quantization of matter and energy". That's all we need to presume in
order to derive the existence of zero point energy! What Dr. Robert
Forward does in his very interesting Phillips Laboratory Report
entitled, "Mass Modification Experiment Definition Study" (#PLTR
96-3004), is to help us understand the simple harmonic oscillator basis
of ZPE:
Quantum Lesson 101: we have two categories of phenomena that we're
dealing with: 1) matter quantization, and therefore "matter zero point
fluctuation" as well as 2) energy quantization, and therefore energy or
"radiation-type" of quantization. So that's the first lesson to keep in
mind.
In regards to the material aspect, inside an atom, or inside matter
(picture a crystal), we can actually use the equation applied to a
spring, which is the standard force F equals the square root of k over
the mass m. Now k normally designates the spring constant. In this case
we're using it as the spring constant of the electron cloud, which is
the electron cloud is acting as a spring in a crude terminology to react
to the mass of the nucleus of the atom. And, of course, there is a
little bit of give and take here. We have both attractive and repulsive
forces that are at play, and the natural frequency of vibration is going
to be quantized only if we're looking at the material part of it. So, as
we derive this in the quantum mechanical viewpoint as physicists say,
"the formality", (the formal approach to translating into quantum
mechanics), we get the Einsteinian equation, E = hf. This relates energy
to frequency in terms of Planck's constant (h).
These are very simple equations, so far, and also the next one will be
as well. But what they do is describe the vibrational quanta in matter
and also the radiational portion, the photons, in the vacuum. As Dr.
Forward mentions in his derivation, when equations of quantum mechanics
are used to determine the average energy (with a bracket on both sides
of the E) of the vibrations of the atoms, the answer is E = n(T) + hf/2.
Therefore, when T goes to zero, then the number of phonons or photons
that are being created also goes to zero.
Thus, even at zero temperature quantum mechanics predicts that each of
the atoms will still have an average residual energy, (as we can see if
we let n go to zero) of hf/2. Physicists have been grappling with this
for years because there appears to be an infinite amount of energy
available if f is allowed to increase without limit. Ever since Casimir
predicted it and various other scientists have verified it, this simple
equation is really all that is underlying the theory of the zero point
field and zero point fluctuation. What's funny about it is that the
one-half is there, which is a little bit deceiving. However, we have to
keep in mind, as Dr. Forward points out too, that the real equation is E
= hf. (Rigorously, quantum field theory performs an infinite sum over
eigenvalues of zero point field modes to obtain the vacuum energy-see
"Absence of a zero-point ambiguity", Phys. Lett. B, 358, 1995, 56). So,
we're dealing with an amount of energy on the average that is available
to only half the quanta. Another phrase called "partons" is used by
Puthoff to indicate the smallest quanta of vibration oscillators: Planck
oscillators that are available in a vacuum or in matter. Therefore,
instead of half photons or half particles existing everywhere, we're
looking at only half of the possible photons or particles really being
materialized at any one time.
More tutorial information on ZPE is also available in the two-hour video
for which I was the technical consultant: "Free Energy: The Race to Zero
Point" produced by Lightworks Audio and Video also available from
Integrity Research Institute.
Cosmological ZPE
Recently, ZPE was mentioned in Science (Vol. 282, Dec. 18, 1998, p.
2157) in an article called the "Breakthrough of the Year." Two teams of
astronomers have confirmed that distant galaxies are accelerating apart.
Furthermore, 2/3 of all astronomers now acknowledge the data as valid.
Thus the cosmological constant envisioned by Einstein is being
reconsidered and an antigravity force being postulated. Physicists have
also interpreted the force as "the evanescent particles that flicker in
and out of existence in 'empty' space that gives space its springiness,
shoving it apart." Scientific American seems to agree ("Cosmological
Antigravity", January, 1999, p. 53): "The aggregate energy represented
by these 'virtual' particles, like other forms of energy, could exert a
gravitational force, which could be either attractive or repulsive
depending on physical principles that are not yet understood." The
cosmological constant represents energy inherent in space itself and
coincidentally is almost exactly equal to the average density of
ordinary matter in the universe (10-29 gm/cc), at this particular time
in its evolution.
To help explain the concepts raised above, it is important to mention
that a repulsive Casimir force may be experimentally obtained in the lab
by utilizing a cavity built with a dielectric and a magnetic plate (see
Boyer, Phys. Rev. A, 9, 1974, 2078 or Kupiszewska, J. Mod. Opt. 40,
1993, 517). Thus the cosmological effects may be easier to explain than
the popular journals are indicating at this time.
Theoretical insights may also be gained from Subquantum Kinetics by Dr.
Paul LaViolette whose open system model of space permits localized ether
concentration wave patterns (particles) to emerge in relation to the
substrate field potential. This systems science approach to cosmological
and microphysical phenomena regards space as a vast nonequilibrium
reaction-diffusion medium, offering new insights.
Experimental ZPE
Since ZPE is due to virtual particle flux and high electric field
gradients cause the flux to increase, it is reasonable to assume that
near the surface of an electron, the ZPE virtual particle flux would be
very high, like a bunch of flies buzzing around it.
Science News reports (2/8/97), "Since the 1930's, theorists have
proposed that...virtual particles cloak the electron, in effect reducing
the charge and electromagnetic force observed at a distance." Therefore,
for the first time, Dr. Koltick (Phys. Rev. Ltrs. 1/20/97) performed an
experiment designed to penetrate the virtual particle cloud surrounding
the electron with a particle accelerator at energies of 58
gigaelectronvolts without creating other particles. From his data, the
newly obtained value of the fine structure constant is 1/128.5 instead
of the smaller 1/137 that is traditionally observed for a fully screened
electron. The fine structure constant equals the electron charge squared
divided by Planck's constant and the speed of light.
As to the concept of free energy from ZPE, one of the first journal
articles to investigate the possibility is "The extracting of electrical
energy from the vacuum by cohesion of charge foliated conductors" (Phys.
Rev. B 30, 4, 84). Dr. Forward describes this "parking ramp" style
corkscrew or spring as a ZPE battery that will tap electrical energy
from the vacuum and allow charge to be stored. The spring tends to be
compressed from the Casimir force but the like charge from the electrons
stored will cause a repulsion force to balance the spring separation
distance. It tends to compress upon dissipation and usage but expand
physically with charge storage. It is similar to the multilayer mirror
in the article, "The Casimir force for passive mirrors" (Phys. Lett. A,
225, 1997, 188) or the "Casimir forces between beads on strings and
membranes" (Phys. Lett. B, 347, 1995, 56) where virtual particle
exchange between the beads is analyzed. It seems that any closely spaced
matter in the submicron range will invoke the Casimir force. The last
article could be useful for ZPE experimentalists since the Casimir force
equations provided for the N "beads" allow for them to be stuck on a
membrane or freely placed, with a variable D for the spatial dimension
of interest.
Since the ground-breaking work on the "one-atom micromaser" (Phys. Lett.
A, 217, 1996, 219), such concepts as "virtual photon tunnel effect" and
"virtual photon quantum noise" are being explored. Further work is also
suggested by the finding that "pressing zero point energy out of a
spatial region can be used to temporarily increase the Casimir force"
(Weigert, Phys. Lett. A, 214, 1996, 215). This article describes the
process of squeezing energy states in quantized electromagnetic fields
to distribute the uncertainty over position and momentum at will. In
fact, a future job market may be opening for the quantum mechanic or the
vacuum engineer with such precision in ZPE emerging.
Dr. Forward subscribes to the classical notion that there is no known
limit
to the electromagnetic wavelength or frequency in the vacuum. What we
see from Dr. Puthoff's approach to this is that he supports the majority
view of a cutoff, which is based on Sakharov's work. The cutoff
frequency (perhaps considering hf=mc2) is called the Planck frequency
which is around 1043 Hertz. This opposes what we see as far as Moray
King (in the book, Tapping the Zero Point Energy) and Dr. Forward saying
that there is an infinite amount of energy available. In a later section
we will see that Dr. Puthoff's theory derives gravity, inertia, heat,
and also electricity directly from ZPE considerations. In Dr. Forward's
paper, he suggests using micro-fabricated sandwiches of ultrafine metal
dielectric layers. He also points out that ZPE seems to have a definite
potential as an energy source.
Another possible experiment for ZPE is the "Casimir Effect at
Macroscopic Distances" (Phys. Rev. A 48,1,93) which proposes observing
the Casimir force at a distance of a few centimeters using confocal
optical resonators within the sensitivity of laboratory instruments.
To summarize, the experimental evidence for the existence of ZPE is:
1) the Casimir Effect, 2) the Lamb shift, 3) Van der Waal's forces, 4)
diamagnetism, 5) spontaneous emission, 6) microdegree liquid Helium, 7)
quantum noise and most recently, 8) cosmological antigravity. Awaiting
experimental verification is that inertia and gravity are also proof of
ZPE
The First ZPE Patent
History was made on 12-31-96 when for the first time ever, ZPE was the
subject of a U. S. patent (#5,590,031). Dr. Frank Mead, from Edwards
AFB, has designed receivers to be spherical collectors of zero point
radiation with hemisphere reflectors of beat frequencies. He states that
"zero point electromagnetic radiation energy which may potentially be
used to power interplanetary craft as well as provide for society's
other needs has remained unharnessed."
Proposing to convert zero point electromagnetic radiation to electrical
energy, Dr. Mead grapples with the high frequencies that may extend up
to around 1040 Hertz. (To gain a perspective, gigahertz radar is only
1010 Hz or so. Visible light is about 1014 Hertz and gamma rays reach
into the 20th power, where the wavelength smaller than an atom) With
slightly different sized receivers, the system produces a beat
frequency. A difference frequency is produced with the rest of the
circuitry amplifying that lower "step down frequency". For example, if 1
part in a million accuracy was achieved in making the microspheres, then
the subtraction of two 1020 Hz signals would yield a 1014 Hz beat
frequency. However, I have recommended to Dr. Mead a real step down
frequency involving "frequency division" which would mean less accuracy
is required in the machining of the hardware and a bigger difference in
the frequency output. The important part of his design is that the
physical apparatus itself, whether a conductor or dielectric, is
responding to the frequencies that it resonates with ZPE. Similar to the
passive mirror article cited above, Mead realizes that the physical
design of the conductor will determine resonant characteristics. If
using large spheres, then it would resonate with very long, low energy
frequencies. However, he points out, if this is miniaturized
(nano-lithography, down to submicron levels), then as the frequency
cubed (f3) dependence goes up very fast, the energy density is much
higher. The implications are that not only can it be made as a solid
state device, but the smaller you make it, the better it is. In fact,
Mead has confided that he is interested in working with single particles
like protons or neutrons that may be slightly different by parts per
trillion for example. This raises the question of what type of antenna
would be appropriate for such an atomic resonator. So there's a lot of
potential for this invention, and I think we're going to see other
follow-up patents.
As to understanding and concepts behind ZPE, Frank Mead calls it "zero
point electromagnetic radiation energy." Dr. Lamoreaux wants to refer to
it as "a flux of virtual particles", because the particles that react
and create some of this energy are popping out of the vacuum and going
back in. So, that's another viewpoint. And of course The New York Times
simply calls it "quantum foam". But the important part about it, from
Dr. Robert Forward's excellent paper, is that "the quantum mechanical
zero point oscillations are real."
ZPE and Sonoluminescence
Does sonoluminescence tap ZPE? This question is based upon the
experimental results of ultrasound cavitation in water which emit light
and extreme heat. "The Chemical Effects of Ultrasound" (Sci. Amer.,
2/89) explains how the bubbles 100 microns in diameter can implode
violently creating temperatures of 5,500 degrees Celsius, or about the
temperature of the sun's surface!
Physicist Seth Putterman from UCLA explains in "An Expanding Knowledge
of a Tiny Bubble's Burst" (Washington Post, 8/5/96) that there is enough
energy in the 1 mile per second shock wave to tear electrons off of the
vapor atoms in the water (ionizing them) and heat them to light-emitting
levels. Apparently, the presence of argon dissolved in the water is a
crucial ingredient for the visible/ultraviolet light to glow brightly.
Critical to the understanding of the nature of this light spectrum
however, is whether it matches the known spectra of ionized gases. Dr.
Claudia Eberlein in her pioneering paper "Sonoluminescence and QED"
(Phys. Rev. Lett., 76, 3, 842, 10/96) describes her conclusion that only
the ZPE spectrum matches the light emission spectrum of
sonoluminescence, which therefore must be a ZPE phenomena.
This helps explain products such as Grigg's Hydrosonic Pump, whose water
glows blue when in cavitation mode, that consistently has been measuring
an over-unity performance of excess energy output (Inter. Symp. on New
Energy, Denver, 1996 & U.S. Patent #5,188,090).
The Post article, also discusses the possibility of the heat being
sufficient for cold fusion as it reviews the movie "Chain Reaction"
featuring Keanu Reeves. (This movie is highly recommended because it is
the first movie ever made to actually mention the words "free energy.")
The movie, which also was featured as a cover story of Infinite Energy
magazine, shows the demonstration of a cold fusion cell and the concept
behind the frequencies and the power availability that makes it
threatening. What I find memorable is Morgan Freeman who acts as the
banker's representative, a veritable archetype of J. P. Morgan
resurrected. When he talks about the concept of free energy, he says,
"that's a noble concept, but it would cause the collapse of the world's
economies..." This reminds us of how the utilities have a vested
interest in energy consumption.
Sonoluminescence and cavitation create the necessary shock waves to
access zero point energy but some scientists claim that 100 times more
heat is needed to create fusion. However, some cold fusion scientists
who use "high pressure" cold fusion say that they have achieved that
requirement. In fact, the January 1997 issue of IEEE Spectrum cites UCLA
physicist Robert Hiller's calculation that the black body equivalent of
the sonoluminescence radiation corresponds to a temperature of 100,000
degrees Kelvin. The Yam article from Scientific American (12/97)
continues the work of the late Noble prize winner Julian Schwinger and
states,
"Basically the surface of the bubble is supposed to act as the Casimir
force plates; as the bubble shrinks, it starts to exclude the bigger
modes of the vacuum energy, which is converted to light."
Scientists at UCLA have recently measured the length of time that
sonoluminescence flashes persist. Barber and Putterman discovered that
they only exist for 50 picoseconds or shorter, which is too brief for
the light to be produced by some atomic process (IEEE Spectrum 1/97).
Atomic processes, in comparison, emit light for at least several tenths
of a nanosecond which leads many to appreciate Eberlein's proposal that
ZPE is the source of the radiation.
Dr. Harold Puthoff's ZPE
Dr. Harold Puthoff is a physicist who has continued to develop Dr.
Andrei Sakharov's theories of gravity and inertia. What he has achieved,
which is now causing shock waves even at NASA, is that gravity has now
been theoretically proven to relate directly to ZPE. Thus, a very
fascinating new theoretical imagery is presented. For example, Dr.
Puthoff, in his paper, "Gravity as a Zero Point Fluctuation Force",
(Phys. Rev. 3/89) points out that gravitational mass and its associated
gravitational effects are shown to derive in a self-consistent way from
electromagnetic zero point induced particle motion (in other words,
ZPE). "Zitterbewegung" or particle jittering may also be the result of
that zero point fluctuations. Puthoff believes that it constitutes an
already unified field. He refers to the Gravitation text by Meisner,
Thorne and Wheeler, often used in graduate courses on general
relativity. There are basically six approaches to gravitation that are
outlined in that book. The one that Dr. Puthoff emphasizes is
specifically the one that Sakharov developed. In the paper, "Gravity as
a zero-point-fluctuation force" (Phys. Rev. A 39,5,1993), he points out
that Dr. Sakharov regards gravitation as not a fundamental interaction
at all, BUT AN INDUCED EFFECT THAT'S BROUGHT ABOUT BY CHANGES IN THE
VACUUM WHEN MATTER IS PRESENT **
The fascinating part about this is that the mass is shown to correspond
to the kinetic energy, the zero point induced internal particle
jittering, while the force of gravity is a long range effect. Low
frequency, long range forces are now associated with van der Waal's
forces. (Van der Waal's forces are seen in colloids and various other
liquids weakly interacting.) In Puthoff's theory, gravity is related
directly to zero point fields, by the low frequency end of the zero
point radiation spectrum.
When we consider ZPE as having a third order dependence on frequency, it
reminds me of the Hutchison effect, (see Intro. to 'Free Energy: The
Race to Zero Point', report published by Integrity Res. Inst.) which
also has been shown to be a 3rd derivative (3rd order) effect. The
Hutchison effect is used to explain an object (conducting or
non-conducting) which repels gravity under the influence of high voltage
AC-modulated DC fields, with the object continually and uniformly
increasing its acceleration. Scientists have never seen that happen
before except in the third order Lorentz-Dirac equation treating
radiation reaction which may help explain the Hutchison effect. Forces
in nature tends to create a constant acceleration.(due to F=ma) The
third order effect predicted by the equation of motion in Puthoff's
paper is directly related to zero point energy and also yields an
insight into the Hutchison effect. It is also worth noting that the
"Free Energy: The Race to Zero Point" video shows the evaluation of the
Hutchison effect by the U. S. military, who promptly classified the
report.
Inertia as a ZPE Effect
The Lorentz force is used to describe Faraday's law, for example, when
we have a charged particle moving in a perpendicular magnetic field and
use the right hand rule to describe where the magnetic field is going to
force that particle to go. In this example, the electric field, magnetic
field, and the force are all perpendicular to each other. The Lorentz
Force now has been proven by Puthoff in his derivation in Physical
Review A (49, 2, 94), to be directly responsible to what he calls the
"electromagnetic resistance arising from the known spectral distortion
of the zero point field in an accelerated frame."
Physicists often hear that Einstein was very interested in Mach's
principle. Ernst Mach was a philosopher more than a scientist and
developed the concept that we could only understand inertia if we have
some unmoving reference frame. He chose the distant stars as the
reference frame. This has been interpreted, not only by Einstein, but
others since then to actually explain the principle of inertia, since
the distant stars can be regarded as a relatively stable reference frame
in the universe from our perspective. Puthoff states, "The ZPF could
thus serve as the Machian cosmic reference frame.and the interesting
point is that the bulk of the contribution to the effect, in this case
the inertial mass, comes from the very-high-frequency components of the
ZPF." He then demonstrates a causal and quantifiable basis for Mach's
principle and explains that the magnetic component of the Lorentz force
arises in ZPE and matter interactions.
Newton's Law as a ZPE Effect
Another theoretical breakthrough by Puthoff is the derivation of
Newton's Law (F=ma) from ZPE electrodynamics. It appears to be related
to the known distortion of the zero point spectrum in an accelerated
reference frame. We therefore have an understanding as to why force and
acceleration should be related, or even for that matter, what is mass.
Puthoff explains that the resistance to acceleration defines the inertia
of matter and it appears to be an electromagnetic resistance. To
summarize: the inertia effect is a distortion at high frequencies
whereas, the gravity effect has been shown to be low frequency effect,
according to the Puthoff theory.
The distortion of the ZPE field under acceleration is the cause of
inertia that we feel from the bound electrons in our body reacting to
the sudden change of direction, according to Puthoff. Perhaps there are
ways to prevent that interaction. Maybe there are some ways that we can
actually turn on a dime, accelerate really quickly and also take off on
a space drive. This is what Arthur C. Clarke believes constitutes a
space drive in his new book, 3001, The Final Odyssey. He specifically
cites Dr. Puthoff's theory with the idea that it is written in the 3001
era, looking back 1000 years as to what was most breakthrough news in
making the space drive possible. Arthur C. Clarke pointed out years ago
that the earth is the cradle of civilization but mankind cannot live in
the cradle forever!
ZPE Critical Acclaim
Certainly such an impressive theoretical achievement as Puthoff's cannot
go unnoticed. Philip Yam, in "Exploiting Zero-Point Energy" (Scientific
American, 12/97) addresses the issue critically. He admits that, "Energy
in the vacuum...is very much real." Yam also explains, "Specifically,
zero-point energy emerges from Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which
limits the accuracy of measurements... Residual energy must therefore
exist in empty space... And given the equivalence of mass and energy...
the vacuum energy must be able to create particles. They flash briefly
into existence and expire within an interval dictated by the uncertainty
principle." He then goes on to dryly summarize the Casimir effect and
Puthoff's research with a demand for proof of principle.
Dr. Marc Millis of NASA's new Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Research
Program has also addressed the above "emerging technology" in several
articles in the past year, including his "Challenge to Create the Space
Drive" (J. Prop. & Power, V. 13, No. 5, 1997, p.577). There his search
for asymmetrical modifiers leads him to consider the "Remaining
Research" of the ZPE field (which he calls the ZPF) "because of its
high-energy density". Dr. Millis states, "Electromagnetism is also
suggested as a target phenomenon for space drive research because of the
ZPF. The ZPF is an electromagnetic phenomenon. Discovering any way to
react asymmetrically with the ZPF would likely create a space drive."
Further on he concludes, "...these theories provide new, alternative
approaches to search for breakthrough propulsion physics." Perhaps we
can start a new trend by blaming everything on ZPE! For an interesting
theoretical physics paper on zero point energy, download from Los Alamos
National Lab website.
Lastly, Dr. John Bahcall from the Inst. for Adv. Study at Princeton
(where Einstein worked) says, "We are all quantum fluctuations. That's
the origin of all of us and of everything in the universe."
<snap>
Blunderov: my caps. This rings bells for me!
Blunderov: my caps. <dances a small jig>; anyone remember my post "A
question of momentous gravity?
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