Following earlier speculations about antigravity machines and works on the relativistic dynamics of constant and variable rest mass point particles, a mass tensor is found in connection with the closed system consisting of the rocket driven spaceship and its propellant mass, provided a “solidification” point other than the system center of mass is considered. Therefore, the mass tensor form depends on whether the system is open or closed, and upon where the “solidification” point is located. An alternative propulsion principle is subsequently derived from the tensor mass approach. The new principle, the covariant equivalent of Newton’s Third Law for the physical interpretation of the relativistic rocket motion, reads: A spaceship undergoes a propulsion effect when the whole system mass 4-ellipsoid warps.
A propulsion–mass tensor coupling in relativistic rocket motion
Space technology and applications international forum - 1998 ; 1998 ; Albuquerque,New Mexico (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 420 , 1 ; 1509-1515
1998-01-15
7 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
A Propulsion-Mass Tensor Coupling in Relativistic Rocket Motion
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