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zero point energy (ZPE)
The energy left behind in a volume of space after all the matter and radiation has been removed. ZPE, also known as vacuum fluctuation energy, is predicted by quantum mechanics and gives rise to some unusual phenomena such as the Casimir effect. It represents a vast unexploited potential: according to one estimate, there is enough ZPE in a volume the size of a coffee cup to boil away Earth’s oceans. If ZPE can be tapped it may be of future importance to space travel, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the United States Air Force. A request for proposals by the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory in 1986 (AF86-77) read: “Bold, new non-conventional propulsion concepts are solicited... The specific areas in which AFRPL is interested include ... esoteric energy sources for propulsion including the zero point quantum dynamic energy of vacuum space."
Related category
• ADVANCED PROPULSION CONCEPTS
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