Quantum-gravity-inspired Alcubierre warp-drive geometries
Abstract
String T-duality, through its correspondence with path-integral duality, endows the low-energy propagator with a zero-point length l0=2π√(α') that softens the short-distance behavior of gravitational fields. Motivated by the regular black-hole construction obtained from the corresponding smeared source, we formulate a T-duality-inspired Alcubierre geometry by identifying the warp profile with the complementary cumulative mass fraction of that source. For the effective one-scale choice f(rs)=1−rs3/(rs2+l2)3/2, with l2=R2+l02, the metric is C2 at the bubble center and smooth elsewhere, while the energy density, its volume integral, and the York expansion are available in closed form. In particular, E=−(15π/1024)vs2 l in geometric units and |ρE| is bounded by a constant times vs2/l2. Within this one-scale family, the model therefore removes the divergence associated with the profile-contraction limit R→ 0 at fixed velocity, because l cannot fall below l0. This should not be confused with a regularization of the conventional Alcubierre thin-wall limit at fixed macroscopic bubble radius, in which an independent wall thickness is taken to zero. We emphasize, however, that the construction is an effective ansatz rather than a derivation from string-corrected field equations: R is a macroscopic profile scale, the choice l2=R2+l02 is an interpolation, and the classical l0→ 0 limit remains a smooth thick-walled profile rather than the distributional Alcubierre top hat. Exotic matter remains necessary, and neither semiclassical stability nor a modified quantum energy inequality is claimed without an explicit renormalized stress-tensor calculation.
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BibTeX
@misc{jusufi2026quantumgravityinspired,
title = {{Quantum-gravity-inspired Alcubierre warp-drive geometries}},
author = {Kimet Jusufi and Francisco S. N. Lobo},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.05554},
eprint = {2609.05554},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.05554},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Quantum-gravity-inspired Alcubierre warp-drive geometries
AU - Kimet Jusufi
AU - Francisco S. N. Lobo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.05554
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.05554
AB - String T-duality, through its correspondence with path-integral duality, endows the low-energy propagator with a zero-point length l_0=2π√(α') that softens the short-distance behavior of gravitational fields. Motivated by the regular black-hole construction obtained from the corresponding smeared source, we formulate a T-duality-inspired Alcubierre geometry by identifying the warp profile with the complementary cumulative mass fraction of that source. For the effective one-scale choice f(r_s)=1−r_s^3/(r_s^2+l^2)^3/2, with l^2=R^2+l_0^2, the metric is C^2 at the bubble center and smooth elsewhere, while the energy density, its volume integral, and the York expansion are available in closed form. In particular, E=−(15π/1024)v_s^2 l in geometric units and |ρ_E| is bounded by a constant times v_s^2/l^2. Within this one-scale family, the model therefore removes the divergence associated with the profile-contraction limit R→ 0 at fixed velocity, because l cannot fall below l_0. This should not be confused with a regularization of the conventional Alcubierre thin-wall limit at fixed macroscopic bubble radius, in which an independent wall thickness is taken to zero. We emphasize, however, that the construction is an effective ansatz rather than a derivation from string-corrected field equations: R is a macroscopic profile scale, the choice l^2=R^2+l_0^2 is an interpolation, and the classical l_0→ 0 limit remains a smooth thick-walled profile rather than the distributional Alcubierre top hat. Exotic matter remains necessary, and neither semiclassical stability nor a modified quantum energy inequality is claimed without an explicit renormalized stress-tensor calculation.
ER -