Horizon-like Structures in Alcubierre Warp Drive Spacetime

Pua Yeong Heng and Edward Teo

Abstract Hiscock has demonstrated the existence of event horizons at two opposite points in a two-dimensional reduction of Alcubierre spacetime. In this paper, these event horizons are generalized to a static limit surface in the full four-dimensional Alcubierre spacetime. Hiscock and his colleagues have also numerically integrated the null geodesic equations in the spacetime and deduced the formation of horizon-like structures. Here, the numerical integration is carried out and their results veried. The results of the integration show that the static limit surface is not in general an event horizon.

Introduction

In 1994, Alcubierre described a hypothetical spacetime within the framework of general relativity that allows for hyper-fast travel without resorting to the use of wormholes [1]. This spacetime resembles the warp drive of science ction in several respects, hence it being named the warp drive spacetime. By contracting spacetime in front of the spaceship and expanding spacetime behind, the spaceship inside the disturbed spacetime region (the warp bubble) attains an apparent super-luminal speed as perceived by observers outside. However, as pointed out by Alcubierre, exotic matter is a prerequisite for the warp drive spacetime. This directly leads to the violation of the weak, strong and dominant energy conditions [1]. The particular metric for the Alcubierre warp drive spacetime is ds2 = dt2 + (dx vf (r)dt)2 + dy 2 + dz 2 , (1)

where v is the apparent velocity of the warp bubble that is moving along the trajectory xs (t), dxs (t) v= . (2) dt

SRP Student, Hwa Chong Junior College Department of Physics, National University of Singapore

For the sake of simplicity, the trajectory xs (t) of the warp bubble is forced to be along the x-axis such that ys (t) = zs (t) = 0. r, the radial coordinate of the spherical coordinate system centred at the warp bubble centre (where the spaceship is taken to be at rest with respect to the warp bubble), is dened as r = [(x xs (t))2 + y 2 + z 2 ]1/2 . (3)

To remove complications, the velocity of the warp bubble v is kept constant, such that v = v0 . This changes the rst term of equation (3) to (x v0 t)2 . The function f (r) is arbitrary and has the condition of decreasing from 1 at r = 0 to 0 at innity, including a region of rapid decrease over a small well-dened range of r values. This can be roughly taken to be the wall of the warp bubble that serves as a boundary between the static region where the spaceship resides and the unaected at Minkowskian spacetime outside. A specic f (r) is given by Alcubierre: f (r) = tanh((r + R)) tanh((r R)) , 2 tanh(R) (4)

where and R are arbitrary positive constants. The region of rapid decrease in f (r) occurs around r R and the constant approximates the width of that region. In the rest of this paper, f (r) is taken to be as dened above. This paper is mainly focused on the horizon-like structures perceived by observers in the spaceship inside the warp bubble. They bear resemblance to the black hole and white hole event horizons and the cosmological horizons. However, they turn out not to be actual horizons as will be explained later. There are two papers by Hiscock and his colleagues that are of interest to us here. In a two-dimensional reduction (t, x) of the Alcubierre spacetime, Hiscock demonstrated the formation of event horizons at two opposite points along the x-axis when v0 > c [2]. In a later paper, Hiscock and his colleagues numerically integrated the null geodesic equations in the warp drive spacetime to determine the angular deection and energy of photons reaching the spaceship from innity [3]. The formation of a conical horizon-like structure analogous to Mach cones was deduced. This was not expected from the form of the metric and it was not immediately obvious how the two disparate results can be reconciled to give a single picture. In section 2 of this paper, Hiscocks results in the two-dimensional reduction will be generalised to the full four-dimensional spacetime. Instead of two event horizons forming at two opposite ends along the x-axis, a static limit surface exists simultaneously with the event horizons found by Hiscock. In section 3, we seek to verify Hiscocks discovery of the conical horizon-like structure. The details of the numerical integration of the null geodesic equations are presented. The results and their interpretation are contained in section 4.

Static Limit Surface in 4D Spacetime

The spatial coordinates of the Alcubierre metric is rst converted from the cartesian form (x, y, z) to the spherical form (r, , ), which is the natural coordinate framework for

the spaceship centred in the warp bubble: x v0 t = r cos cos , y = r cos sin , z = r sin . Upon expanding the (dx v0 f dt) term, the metric becomes
2 2 ds2 = (1 + v0 v0 f 2 )dt2 + (1 f )(2v0 dt)(dx + v0 dt) + dr2 + r2 d2 + r2 cos2 d2 , (8)

(5) (6) (7)

where dx = dx v0 dt = dr cos cos + r sin cos d + r cos sin d. Completing the square and further simplication of the metric gives ds2 = A(r) dt where
2 A(r) = 1 v0 (1 f (r))2 .

(9)

(1 f )(v0 ) dx A(r)

+ dr2 + r2 d2 + r2 cos2 d2 +

2 (1 f )v0 (dx )2 , (10) A(r)

(11)

A new time coordinate representing the proper time of the spaceship is introduced: d = dt (1 f )v0 dx . A(r) (12)

To provide a consistency check on equation (12), the angles and are set to specic values to represent the future and past scenarios in Hiscocks two-dimensional spacetime. When both and are set to 0 (the future), equation (12) reduces to d = dt + (1 f )v0 dr. A(r) (13)

Conversely, when is set to 0 and set to 180 (the past), equation (12) reduces to d = dt (1 f )v0 dr. A(r) (14)

Equation (13) and (14) were what Hiscock obtained, hence providing a consistency check on equation (12). The metric takes the new form ds2 = A(r)d 2 + dr2 + r2 d2 + r2 cos2 d2 +
2 (1 f )v0 (dx )2 . A(r)

(15)

Examining equation (10), the spherical coordinate system of the spaceship breaks down at r = r0 when A(r0 ) = 0. This occurs only when v0 > 1 and when f (r0 ) = 1 1 . v0 (16)

This condition is exactly the same as that obtained by Hiscock. However, what is described in this generalisation is not event horizon in the strict sense but is what can be termed a static limit surface that is horizon-like. This surface demarcates the static region of the spacetime from the spaceships perspective. The static region is a distinctive region whereby all matter can stay at rest relative to the spaceship. Matter in the spacetime complementary to the static region can never stay at rest relative to the spaceship regardless of any velocity relative to the at spacetime outside the warp bubble. Therefore, this surface is analogous to the event horizon of a static Schwarschild black hole in this property. The two points that Hiscock found in his two-dimensional spacetime are event horizons that allow only unidirectional movement of matter and radiation past them. As for the other points of the static limit surface, this property does not hold true as will be shown in the results later. Hence, what is described is not termed event horizon. Furthermore, the radius r0 of this spherical surface provides a convenient and natural way to measure the warp bubble radius. This measure is velocity-dependent as seen in equation (16) whereas the original estimation suggested by Alcubierre (r R) is clearly a constant.

Null Geodesic Equations

The general null geodesic equation in conventional dierential form is dp + p p = 0, d (17)

where is an ane parameter measured along the null geodesic. Since the warp bubble system is cylindrically symmetric about the x-axis (the axis along which the trajectory lies), the coordinate z can be set to 0, leaving only a xy plane cutting across the spaceship to be considered. After evaluation, the three components of equation (17) are dpt + t tt (pt )2 + t xx (px )2 + 2t tx pt px + 2t ty pt py + 2t xy px py = 0, d dpx + x tt (pt )2 + x xx (px )2 + 2x tx pt px + 2x ty pt py + 2x xy px py = 0, d dpy + y tt (pt )2 + 2y tx pt px = 0. d The following three denitions are required dt pt , d dx px , d dy py . d (18) (19) (20)

(21) (22) (23)

To study how photons from far away actually reach the spaceship at r = 0, an inverse approach is needed. The three null geodesic equations has to be numerically integrated for photons leaving the spaceship at r = 0 and propagating through the warp bubble to reach innity. Since the spaceship distortion geometry rapidly approaches at Minkowskian spacetime at a radius greater than the warp bubble radius, the numerical integration were only performed up to r = 10R. The integration results obtained were then time-reversed to simulate the trajectories of photons originating from innity (more precisely, 10R). The initial conditions at r = 0 are set as follows pt = 1, px = cos(0 ) + v0 , py = sin(0 ), (24) (25) (26)

where 0 , the initial angle the outgoing photon makes with the x-axis to the front of the spaceship, is dened as py tan(0 ) = x . (27) p v0 pt The nal angular direction (10 ) of the photon at r = 10R is dened as tan(10 ) = py . px (28)

The dierential equations from (18) to (23) were numerically integrated using a fourthorder Runge-Kutta routine. Initial conditions were as specied and the equations were integrated outward to r = 10R in steps of either 106 or 107 . and R were taken to be 1 and the integration was done for v0 = 2 and v0 = 10 in 30 increments. For angles near 0 and 180 , integration was performed for 0.1 , 1 , 179 and 179.9 as well. The results obtained were then time-reversed such that the warp bubble moves backwards with the same v0 . A photon moving out of the warp bubble with 0 and having nal angle 10 undergoes time reversal to become a photon with (180 10 ) at r = 10R propagating through the warp bubble to reach the spaceship at r = 0 with angle (180 0 ).

Results and Discussion

The graph of y against x vt for v = 2 is as shown below. In addition, a line is plotted to represent the static limit surface when v = 2. Note that this graph shows the outgoing photon trajectories (before time reversal is applied). It is evident from the graph that photons with initial = 30 and = 60 cross the front half of the static limit horizon. This is not possible if the front half is an event horizon. Photons with = 0.1 do not cross the surface at the point where the surface intersects with the x-axis. This point is therefore an event horizon. The temperature of the two points corresponding to event horizons has already been found by Hiscock. Additional work may be done to establish whether there is any radiation and temperature associated with this static limit surface as there is with the Rindler

8 Static Limit Surface 0.1 degree 1 degree 30 degrees 60 degrees 90 degrees 120 degrees 150 degrees 179 degrees 180 degrees

0 -8 -6 -4 x-vt -2 0 2

horizon in the coordinate framework of a relativistic accelerating observer. Another possible area of exploration will be to remove the assumption of constant warp speed and impose a condition of constant warp acceleration.

Acknowledgements
The rst author would like to express his heart-felt thanks to his mentor, Dr. Edward Teo, for his constant guidance and advice given throughout the whole project. Without him, this project would not have been possible. Special thanks also go to the National University of Singapore and the Ministry of Education for organising this programme.

References
[1] M. Alcubierre, The Warp Drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity, Class. Quant. Grav. 11 (1994) L73. [2] W. A. Hiscock, Quantum eects in the Alcubierre warp-drive spacetime, Class. Quant. Grav. 14 (1997) L183. [3] C. Clark, W. A. Hiscock and S. L. Larson, Null geodesics in the Alcubierre warp drive spacetime: the view from the bridge, Class. Quant. Grav. 16 (1999) 3965.