MatiasRaudzus Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 This would be cool if it turns out to be true, but as of now it's more of a theory. It's speculative, but could pairs of stars be connected via tunnels in spacetime?Some stars may contain wormholes, throat-like tunnels connecting distant points in spacetime, a team of physicists proposes. But other researchers are having a hard time swallowing the idea. "It's a nice piece of speculative work, but it is speculation," says theoretical physicist Matt Visser of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In an article posted online at arXiv.org February 25, physicist Vladimir Folomeev of the Institute of Physicotechnical Problems and Material Science in the Kyrgyz Republic and his colleagues suggest that pairs of stars could be joined by wormholes full of an exotic material known as "phantom matter." Strictly hypothetical, phantom matter has been proposed as a possible explanation for the accelerating expansion of the universe. Its exotic properties could also enable phantom matter to keep a wormhole propped open. "I am pretty sure that once you admit exotic matter of some suitable kind, you can mathematically construct a star with a wormhole inside," comments relativity theorist Dieter Brill of the University of Maryland in College Park. Actually seeing a wormhole is another thing entirely. It's possible, says Folomeev, that a stellar wormhole might generate signals that telescopes could record. In general, an ordinary star and one with a wormhole at its center would look the same to a distant observer. But if the wormhole has a strong enough influence, it might alter properties such as the mass or size of the stars in a nonstandard way. Also, if the wormhole is short, so that the two stars it links don't lie far apart, an observer might see another unusual signpost -- two closely spaced objects with nearly identical properties. The team performed preliminary calculations suggesting that such a configuration might be stable against relatively simple disturbances to the system, supporting the possible existence of such a beast. However, the researchers acknowledge that their analysis isn't complete. "They seem to have done a serious analysis of the system, but they haven't claimed to have shown stability, as would be necessary to take the model seriously," comments theoretical physicist Robert Wald of the University of Chicago. In their paper, Folomeev and his colleagues suggest that the phantom matter in the wormhole would slosh around, generating astrophysical fireworks in the process. Oscillations in which different parts of the material move at different velocities could lead to collisions that might be energetic enough to produce gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe. For now, this is just an idea that still must be confirmed by further calculations, says Folomeev. Although it's unclear whether or not the stellar wormhole model will collapse under scrutiny, says Brill, "I am generally in favor of calculating models that a priori seem far-fetched and wild." http://news.discovery.com/space/wormholes-connecting-stars-110305.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted March 7, 2011 Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 It would be cool, if true. They might have a difficult time proving it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S. Veteran Posted March 7, 2011 Veteran Share Posted March 7, 2011 I classify wormholes in the category "things I'll probably never understand". The fact that they might not even exist in the first place reinforces that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Let's just hope the shapeshifters and Dominion aren't on the otherside waiting for us. :alien: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spy beef Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Does this mean Stargate travel is possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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