by Thomas Valone, M.A., P.E.
Integrity Research Institute
1999
from
SEAS Website
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=phc/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.
Left. 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. Left. 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
stabilizes 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 to 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 one-half quantum per
state. This suggests 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 vindicates the provocative name of Infinite
Energy magazine which has provided a forum for cutting edge energy
discoveries.
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.
Now, 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. Left. 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 (1 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.
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. Left. A, 225, 1997, 188) or the
“Casimir forces between beads on strings and membranes” (Phys. Left.
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.
Left. 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. Left. 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
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 (nanolithography,
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. Left., 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 In
finite 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 Puthoffs 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 is 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 is 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.
It is important to mention that Drs. Rueda and Haisch have also
contributed to this field by proposing to have found an explicit
origin for the reaction force of Newton’s second law (F=ma), which
has traditionally been attributed to inertia. Their article (Physics
Letters A 240, 1998, II 5-126) proves that the
acceleration-dependent scattering of ZPE radiation, which the
accelerated object is force to move through, interacts with standard
electrodynamics to cause a Lorentz force on the object. Their work
cites Puthoff and is supported by a NASA contract.
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. Puthoffs 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 fr9m 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 (pronounced “zippy”)! For an interesting
theoretical physics paper on zero point energy, download from
http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/hep-th/9901011
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.”
The Author
Mr. Thomas Valone has degrees in electrical engineering and physics
and is a professional engineer. He is presently the President of the
Integrity Research Institute in Washington, DC providing technical
consultation for engineering and law firms, authors, videos. Clients
include Lightworks AV, Alternative Energy Institute, Starburst
Foundation, The Magnetizer Group, Saladoff and Associates, ELF
International, Sachs-Freeman Associates, AquaQueen, Newline
Investments. Services provided: Electrical product
design/development, engineering testing, expert testimony and
opinion, magnetic field measurement & shielding, circuit design. He
is the Editor of the Future Energy newsletter and has 3 books and 50
articles in print covering a broad range of engineering and energy
issues.
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