Alcubierre metric

The Alcubierre metric, sometimes known as the Alcubierre Drive (metric) or the Warp Drive spacetime, is a solution of the field equations of general relativity that is used to model faster than light travel. The particular form of the metric that Alcubierre (1994) studied in some detail is given by

${\displaystyle ds^{2}=dx^{2}+dy^{2}+dz^{2}-2v_{s}(t)f(r_{s}(t))dxdt+\left(v_{s}(t)^{2}f(r_{s}(t))-1\right)dt^{2}}$

where ${\displaystyle v_{s}(t)={\frac {dx_{s}(t)}{dt}}}$ and ${\displaystyle r_{s}(t)=[(x-x_{s}(t))^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}]^{\frac {1}{2}}}$

For the definition of the function ${\displaystyle f}$, and the physical properties of this metric, see the article Alcubierre drive.

• Alcubierre drive
• General relativity