The science of Symmetry: Subspace
Subspace
Subspace is an alternate form of
spacetime used for faster than light travel and communications. Contrary to its
suggestive colloquial name, it is not a higher dimension or alternate universe,
but instead is simply an altered form of normal spacetime which possesses
covariant laws of physics.
Subspace travel is facilitated via
the production of gravitational bosons known as gravitophotons. Gravitophotons are the particles responsible for
transmitting the gravitomagnetic force exploited in modern gravitational
technology. In gravitophoton generators, pairs of the bosons are generated via
pair production- one with positive energy density and the other with negative
energy density. The gravitophoton possessing negative energy (and consequently
transmitting an attractive force) interacts with matter to produce a
gravitomagnetic field, resembling a magnetic field but exhibiting the
universally-attracting properties of gravitation- with a vastly larger coupling
constant, of course, making the generation of powerful gravitational fields a
trivial matter via a rotating superconductor.
The gravitophoton possessing positive energy (exhibiting a repulsive
gravitomagnetic force, but with a vastly reduced
coupling constant, barely interacting with matter), however, soon decays
quickly into a particle known as a quintessence
particle. The quintessence particle is responsible for mediating the
gravitational interaction between matter and dark energy (latent energy of the spacetime
field); consequently, whenever one is produced, matter exchanges momentum with
the spacetime field, leading to a small expansion of spacetime and a consequent
increase in dark energy.
The important fact to consider is
that the increase in dark energy results in a local decrease in inertial mass due to the relativistic relationship of
momentum and inertial mass. The contribution from the negative (attractive) gravitophoton
and the dark energy normally cancel out exactly, however, leaving the inertial mass
of the object unchanged. There is a process, however, involving the production
of anyons which can cause a disproportionately large number of quintessence
particles to form, causing a local decrease in inertial mass not entirely
balanced by the negative gravitophoton. Then, because of relativistic
conservation of energy, the speed of light must increase such that c' > c.
This causes the local properties
of spacetime to be altered in the vicinity of the quintessence field. The speed
of light increases, inertial mass decreases (allowing higher velocities than
normal), and the gravitational constant varies in ways such that the laws of
physics remain covariant within the altered spacetime field. Matter in a
Subspace field follows the same exact laws of physics as matter in normal
spacetime, but the exact coefficients for the various physical constants are
altered, allowing matter to travel faster than what it normally could in normal
spacetime.
The physical manifestation of
Subspace fields is differing depending on their strengths. Low-level Subspace
fields are commonly used to locally reduce inertial mass and make objects less
strenuous and costly to move. When Subspace fields of sufficient power form,
the fabric of spacetime is distorted such that it is visible to the naked eye. Such
a powerful Subspace field is used for faster than light travel and is commonly
referred to as a Subspace rupture,
even though that term is somewhat of a misnomer. The field is not at all a "rupture"
in spacetime, such as a black hole, but is instead a typical Subspace field
with a speed of light discrepancy high enough to become visible to the naked
eye.
The reason that powerful Subspace
fields are visible to the naked eye is due to a combination of diffraction and
spatial expansion. The speed of light inside a field is much higher than it is
outside said field, refracting whatever light enters and consequently
generating a visible distortion. The latter reason, spatial expansion, is an
expected phenomenon upon the rapid increase in the energy of the local dark
energy field. Spacetime expands as a result of dark energy, and having such a
tremendous degree of the energy in a local region can visibly distort
spacetime.
Subspace ruptures, however, are
accompanied by the release of extreme amounts of gravitomagnetic radiation several orders of magnitude more
powerful than the gravitational fields of whole stars, making their formation extraordinarily
hazardous. This is why starships cannot simply form a powerful Subspace field
around themselves: The gravitomagnetic radiation would maul the starship and utterly
destroy. The radiation, due to its short range (remember that gravitomagnetic
fields have the geometry of magnetic fields but the power of extraordinarily
strong gravitational fields), will disperse in a few kilometres distance and a
few seconds after formation, but it is extremely hazardous within the immediate
vicinity nonetheless.
When created within an atmosphere,
the effects of a Subspace rupture are even more destructive. The atmosphere is
violently blown aside by the extreme release of gravitomagnetic radiation
(which has the property of transferring kinetic
energy rather than electromagnetic energy,
as is typical for electromagnetic radiation), creating compressions of
atmosphere with wind speeds of thousands of kilometres per hour. There is also
an extremely large amount of heat released, creating an explosion resembling
that of a nuclear detonation. The Ihggom'Sann Accords of 1621 (Earth calendar)
abhor the use of Subspace ruptures as weaponry, declaring their nefarious use
to be considered an immediate act of war.