Energy from the Quantum Vacuum

The extraction of Electromagnetic zero point fluctuations energy is a relevant and somehow unsolved approach to energy production. The energy density of ZPF is enormous, and tapping it would be a fundamental discovery. Many unsuccesful attempts have been made and new theoretical approaches often appear in the literature. Among them this one is probably the most complex, involving all fundamental forces of nature in a set on non-linearly coupled oscillators.

ZPFs are uniform everywhere so that it is difficult to find a "flow" and attach a sort of Carnot machine to this flow for useful energy generation.

We can induce a "flow" by converting EM ZPFs to "something else" that interfaces to this "something else" ZPF having a different energy density respect to EM ZPFs. What this "something else" could be?

We could look at the gravitational field. The gravitational field is well described by General Relativity, that is not a quantum theory, therefore its ZPF does not exist, it could possibly be zero.

How could we convert EM ZPF to (now real) Gravitational fluctuations (waves)?

A possible idea is to find a suitable nuclear species that has dineutrons floating near or on the surface of a core nucleus. Dineutrons are nearly ideal emitters of gravitational waves at gamma ray frequencies because they have gravitational quadrupole moment, no electrical charge and have nuclear matter density, thus their gravitational wave emission impedance matches well with the gravitational characterstic impedance of free space. Dineutrons are pulled towards the core nucleus by the strong nuclear force and made to vibrate by EM ZPF induced vibration of the core nucleus.  In this system the strong nuclear force operates like a flexible non-linear constraint keeping together the gears of a "gearbox". More generally we are dealing with oscillators coupled by a non linear force.  What is extremely important is that the core nucleus is electrically charged and couples almost exclusively to the electromagnetic field in the long range, and the dineutron is not electrically charged and couples almost exclusively to the gravitational field in the long range. The "gearbox" is almost indifferent to both fields being it made using another kind of force in the short range, therefore it can properly operate increasing the frequency of the vibrations from the core nucleus to the dineutron.

This concept has been published here (2009):

aip.scitation.org...

and here (2012):

www.tsijournals.com...

Dineutrons and the calculation of their binding energy have been proposed by the two times Nobel laureate Linus Pauling.

scarc.library.oregonstate.edu...

Some experimental evidence also exists.

In the field of electronics there exists the self-quenched super-regenerative receiver. An unstable (but initially inoperative) oscillator is kick-started by an external signal or by noise, then the amplitude of the oscillations will increase exponentially. Then it will start dissipating energy through quenching channels, that are the electrical load and the limited couplig to the power source. Because of that it will stop oscillating, still remaining unstable.

en.wikipedia.org...

By analogy a dynamically unstable nuclear oscillator with dineutrons (the positive charged core is powered by EM ZPF) might by kick-started by a proton (it could transfer enough energy to the atom/nucleus without causing fission), then the amplitude of the oscillations will increase until the gravitational wave emission associatd to the coupled dineutrons will quench the oscillator. The proton represents the input signal. In principle this controlled cycle might be excited an unlimited number of times.

Noise may also kick-start the energy conversion cycle randomly. This hypothesis may offer an explanation on why there may exist stable isotopes of super heavy elements outside the supposed island of stability: quenching of nuclear dynamics by gravitational wave emission from dineutrons may stop spontaneous fission and nuclear decay. Therefore, in principle, the required nuclear species could be identified by the following properties: it must be stable, it could continuously emit gravitational waves, it must increase its emission of gravitational waves by bombardment with non fission inducing particles capable to kick the nuclei (protons for instance). For those interested in the Alcubierre drive, the ZPF energy extraction process here described could create conditions where the local energy density of spacetime is lower than normal (because of the extraction process). Considering "nearly zero" as normal, we could be able to create a patch of spacetime with negative energy density.

In this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U39RMUzCjiU

A short animated gif below.

You can observe a classical analogy for non-linearly coupled oscillators with different resonant frequencies. Remember that a pendulum is a non linear oscillator for large angles. Following the video you will see that energy (amplitude of the oscillations) will move from one pendulum to the other and back. This behavior is a common behavior for non-linear coupled oscillators. Our core/dineutron model will enter a similar dynamic where the core will transfer energy to the dineutron that, at some point, will spin and will radiate the energy as gravitational waves, so that vibrational energy will not come back to the core, then the core will restore its zero point energy state.

The classical sistem shown in the video is obvionsly affected by air friction and classical damping and after some time all movements end, this is not the case for a quantum sistem.

About a century ago few europeans discovered the technical use of neutrons. en.wikipedia.org...

Now we may also know the technical use of dineutrons. In the spirit of a greener and less polluted world, nuclei are not splitted, therefore this potential approach to energy generation will never directly produce radioactive isotopes.

What do you think?

Can we start this new research?

And yes, this could be used to propel a spacecraft.

An EM ZPF background (pages 55 and 56):

ntrs.nasa.gov...

contact: quant.det@gmail.com