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I am designing a video game in which Alcubierre Drives will be obtainable by the player. I would like this game to be somewhat scientifically accurate in this way.

Specifically, I am interested in what parts would be necessary, their function, what they may look like, and where they may be placed in or on a ship. I realize that there are many unknowns regarding the Alcubierre Drive. As such, I would like several possibilities to be listed for each of the main unknowns.

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    $\begingroup$ Why not use NASA's official design ( static.businessinsider.com/image/539875f469beddaa46e95390/… ). Everyone knows they are hiding it at Area 51. $\endgroup$ – Euphoric Feb 9 '16 at 9:53
  • $\begingroup$ I suspect the ship's name is "Enterprise". Seriously, look at the enlarged picture and you can read the ...prise on it $\endgroup$ – Jim2B Feb 9 '16 at 15:23
  • $\begingroup$ Do you have artificial gravity or do you need to spin? $\endgroup$ – Azor Ahai Feb 9 '16 at 19:25
  • $\begingroup$ @Azor-Ahai If it had artifical gravity (I imagine there is some way to do it since gravity is just the warping of space -- similarly to what this drive does) that would be a plus. But, it's fine if it doesn't have it. $\endgroup$ – john01dav Feb 9 '16 at 23:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Jim2B It is. flickr.com/photos/yard2380/albums/72157644113972600 $\endgroup$ – JAB Jul 29 '16 at 20:05
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Well it appears that there are several designs out there from people who have some idea what they are proposing.

All of them have the drive(s) as a large ring around the ship. Most of them appear to use 2 rings, and my guess is that would help with stability and maybe one ring compresses space in front and the other stretches it out behind.

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  • $\begingroup$ What are the rings made out of? Are the rings all that is necessary to create a drive or is some sort of fuel (perhaps exotic matter) supposed to be sored on board the space craft? I want "what parts would be necessary, their function, what they may look like" for every part of the ship since the player will actually be putting many of these parts on the ship themselves. $\endgroup$ – john01dav Feb 9 '16 at 18:57
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    $\begingroup$ From various sites, the ring or rings hold the "negative matter" needed to warp space and stabilize the warp bubble inside. The ring shape itself is derived from solutions where ring shaped "bubbles" use less energy (negative matter) than the initial solutions. There is a lot of hand waving in these explanations... $\endgroup$ – Thucydides Feb 9 '16 at 19:06
  • $\begingroup$ @john01dav, the exotic matter required would literally have to contain a negative value of mass. It's supposedly consistent with Einsteinian field equations, but hasn't been reconciled with quantum mechanics. Supposedly. I can't do the math, but respected sources are looking into it. Along those lines, the recent EMdrive might violate conservation of momentum, but past experience tells us to remain skeptical. $\endgroup$ – Sean Boddy Feb 10 '16 at 3:27
  • $\begingroup$ they do look like the terran ships from "Sword of the Stars", but I think their... gravity-node engine is something different. But for designs with such a shape, you might look over there too. $\endgroup$ – Confused Merlin Feb 10 '16 at 12:55
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    $\begingroup$ Are you sure? I think the rings warp space and the engine pushes the ship across $\endgroup$ – bowlturner Feb 13 '16 at 2:21

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