Skip to main content
Log in

Twists of fate: Can we make traversable wormholes in spacetime?

  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Letters

Abstract

The scientific reasons for trying to make traversable wormholes are briefly reviewed. Methods for making wormholes employing a Machian transient mass fluctuation are examined. Several problems one might encounter are mentioned. They, however, may just be engineering difficulties. The use of “quantum inequalities” to constrain the existence of negative mass-energy required in wormhole formation is briefly examined. It is argued that quantum inequalities do not prohibit the formation of artificial concentrations of negative mass-energy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnowitt, R., Deser, S., and Misner, C.W. (1960a),Phys. Rev. 120, 313–320; (1960b),Phys. Rev. 120, 321–324.

    Article  MATH  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Chown, M. (1996),New Scientist (23 March), 28–33.

  • Cramer, J.G., Forward, R.L., Morris, M.S., Visser, M., Benford, G., and Landis, G.A. (1995),Phys. Rev. D 51, 3117–3120.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, L.H. (1991),Phys. Rev. D 43, 3972–3978; (1978),Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A 364, 227-236.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, L.H. and Roman, T.A. (1996),Phys. Rev. D 53, 5496–5507; (1995),Phys. Rev. D 51, 4277–4286.

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Forward, R.L. (1989),J. Propulsion 6, 28–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawking, S. (1996),The Illustrated A Brief History of Time (Bantam Books, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaku, M. (1996),Sci. Am. (March), 110–111.

  • Krauss, L.M. (1995),The Physics of Star Trek (Basic Books, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lightman, A. and Brawler, R. (1990),Origins (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Matloff, G.L. (1996),Mercury 25 (4), 10–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, M.S. and Thorne, K.S. (1988),Am. J. Phys. 56, 395–412.

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Price, R.H. (1993),Am. J. Phys. 61, 216–217.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sagan, C. (1985),Contact (Pocket Books, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, I. (1994),New Scientist (24/31 December), 22–25.

  • Visser, M. (1995),Lorentzian Wormholes (AIP Press, Woodbury, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J.F. (1991),Found. Phys. Lett. 4, 407–423; (1995)Found. Phys. Lett. 8, 1–39 [MUSH]; (1996a)Found. Phys. Lett. 9, 1–23; (1996b)Found. Phys. Lett. 9, 247–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Woodward, J.F. Twists of fate: Can we make traversable wormholes in spacetime?. Found Phys Lett 10, 153–181 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02764237

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02764237

Key words

Navigation