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This Defense Intelligence Reference Document (DIA-08-1003-018), dated 30 March 2010, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency as part of its FY 2009 Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It reviews theoretical approaches to antigravity for aerospace propulsion, drawing on Newtonian physics, general relativity, cosmological dark energy and quantum vacuum effects. The report notes that no current technology can actively control gravity and that many concepts are far from practicable engineering.
UNCLASSIFIED//F81il 8FFI1il.t.k Wfili &,.kY be used to observe this effect in the lab. Pinto also points out that other polarizable systems such as nanoparticles, microspheres, and quantum dots can be used in place of atoms. The trapping of latex spheres into a form of optical matter by means of intense laser radiation has already been demonstrated in the lab. In addition, an analogy to the item 1 - 3 manipulations that produce dramatically enlarged polarizabilities in trapped interacting nanoparticles and microspheres have also been demonstrated in the lab. Pinto proposes a levitation propulsion thruster in which the combined system of trapped interacting polarizable particles and external confining fields forms a single thruster element comprising a fraction of the mass of the entire vehicle. The reaction of the self- lifting force exerted by this element against the external confining fields results in the transfer of force (thrust) to the entire vehicle. In order to achieve levitation, this requires that the upward thrust per polarizable particle be larger than its own weight if the fraction of the thrusting mass is smaller than the mass of the rest of the vehicle. The propulsive levitation condition is expressed as (Reference 66): F1hn1>1 = (M,eh + m"N)g or F11oru,,lmANg ::c: 1, where F11uu,, is the total gravity-induced thrust, M,ch is the vehicle mass, mA is the mass of individual polarizable particles, and N is the total number of trapped polarizable particles. Pinto identified numerous technical challenges that will have to be overcome before this concept can be put to practice. One challenge is that polarizability resonant enhancement also leads to atomic transitions and decay which result in the recoil and evaporation of atoms from inside the trap. Another is the difficulty of maintaining continued confinement of a trapped cluster of polarizable particles in a specific 3- dimensional array while the cluster is simultaneously opposing the amplified interatomic forces and producing thrust. The confinement lifetime of trapped polarizable particles is finite and there is the possibility that these particles might be evaporated away or destroyed in a time that is too short to deliver the required thrust to the vehicle. Therefore, a scheme for active repopulation of the trapped cluster will have to be developed. The design of particle cluster traps and associated external confinement fields are of primary importance to determine the effective thrusting time of every polarizable particle. In addition, Rydberg atoms suffer from finite radiative lifetimes and are sensitive to external perturbations, so dispersion force manipulation might lead to the ionization of atoms. Tradeoffs will have to be made between all of the relevant system parameters in order to discover the "sweet spot" that achieves levitation and upward acceleration. These and other yet to be identified technical challenges need to be addressed via further empirical and theoretical studies. V. Conclusion: The Way Forward This report has reviewed and analyzed a number of antigravity concepts that are found within Newtonian gravity theory, General Relativity Theory, semi-classical quantum gravity theory, quantum field theory, and nonretarded quantum interatomic dispersion force theory. One found that plausible mechanisms exist within Newtonian and general relativistic theories whereby one could embody a realistic device that produces a significant antigravity force. However, one discovered that there are daunting technical challenges that arise in each of the proposed embodiments. Mechanical embodiments that produce antigravity forces require kilometer-sized apparatus, astronomical-sized masses and densities, or extreme mass velocities and accelerations. There are other subtleties involved, such as the possibility of different forms of matter having a highly 24 UNCLASSIFIED/ ,'1"91t 91"1"1!111it 1!191!! 9HLY
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 44 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.