Is artificial gravity possible, as in Star Trek stories?

Question

Can 24th century technology create artificial gravity by heating closed containers of gas so that relativistic molecular velocities are attained, thereby creating enormous relativistic mass? If this is fundamentally not possible, give your reasons why.

Tortfeasor, we don't need to recreate the mass of the Earth to simulate 1g gravity, and furthemore, small units could be distributed under all deck flooring. For example, we could have "pipes" of circulating superfast gas.

PhysicsDude, so we're quibbling now about which CENTURY this will become possible?

To simulate 1g gravity within 3 meter, we only need to have a relativistic mass of about a billion tons.

Answer 1

The answer really depends on what you mean by "artificial gravity". We currently can alreay simulate the effects of gravity on the International Space Station by rotating a section of the station to create centripedal force. This would act like gravity while an astronaut is standing on that rotating section.

Another way to generate "artificial gravity" is through acceleration. If you're on a spaceship accelerating at g=1, then you would experice gravity identical to that of Earth's surface. This idea is based on Einstein's Eqivalence Principle from his Theory of General Relativity. This would be the most practical and cheapest way to simulate gravity.

However, if you mean create the effects of gravity by literally bending spacetime (Einstein also demonstrated that gravity is = geometry of spacetime in his theory General Relativity), then I think we will have to wait longer than the 24th century to get that kind of technology, since the amount of energy involved is so enormous.

No I am not quibbing about which century, because the technology required for this won't happen for another several hundred thousand years at least, maybe millions.

Answer 2

Yes, but it would be difficult to pull it off in the way they do it on the TV show. You could use a rotating cylinder to provide centripedal force, thus simulating gravity through the exertion of that force outward. Problem is, you could only run around on the inside of the cylinder.

You could warp the space time continuum with a concentrated fusion reaction (I know, that sounds pretty dorky and made-up, but I swear its true), producing a small star. That star would give off gravity, so if you generated it "below decks," it would pull people down. The problem is that doing any of the above is barely possible in the best of conditions for minute amounts of time (like, less than a couple of seconds), so the possibility of making it happen on a space ship anytime soon is not too likely.

Answer 3

I do not know - but I know that any material kept over a super conductor experiences loss of gravitational force.

For example, if you have a disc of superconductor and if you place an object over it ( need not be placed on it, it may be even 100 m vertically above it) then this experiences a sort of reduction in weight - artificial reduction in gravitational force.

It may be possible some day to have artificial gravity as a converse of this phenomenon.

Answer 4

obviously some thing is available. The question is how lengthy will it take us to strengthen it, and is it economically possible? I recommend there is in reality no reason to attempt to create synthetic gravity to artwork like fashionable man or woman Trek in authentic spaceships. the reason they have that form of artificaial gravity is merely so as that it really is more convenient to movie it. In area there is not any preferential reference body (i.e. a particular up and down course). there is not any reason to layout ships with format that appear like it really is to operate interior an uniform gravitation field (like that of ships the following in the international). it should be more convenient and larger value effective possible to construct spaceships that could produce a similar effect as synthetic gravity yet at little or no value, like a rotating donut-shaped tube. In area there is not any wind resistance, so it would properly be any structure you want.

Answer 5

there is a simpler way if it's possible
as you know
F =GMm/r²
so if we can increase M to a some extent we can generate considerable amount of gravitation force

to do that using relatively smaller volume we would have to make materials with huge densities.

Answer 6

I presume that artificial gravity, faster than light travel,
control of aging, control of all diseases, alien life and many yet
unimagined discoveries will be made....

Answer 7

I suggest using magnetic shoes.