Interplanetary "Tubes"

[Edtharan]

In a recent article in the magazine New Scientist (on 25 March 2006) they taked about these gravitational "Tubes" that allow easy travel through the solar system. These tubes lie along the gravitational contours of the solar system.

 

What I was wondering is could these "Tubes" exist between stars? and could they give a means to easily send a spaceship to another star (of course it would still take time to get there, but would these allow a ship to get there faster and with less fule needed)?

[insane_alien]

if you take the reference point as the galactic center and our sun as a "planet" and earth as a moon then yes the tubes exist. I don't like the analogy to a tube since it implys a definite edge to the path where the effectiveness stops but there isn't its all fuzzy. Its more of an "optimum route" that is constantly changing due to the movement of the planets. we probably need a bigger computer to work out interstellar paths.

[Edtharan]

yes ther is no Physical edge to these "tubes" but there is a logical edge where this effect breaks down and you then have to use more thrust to reach the same destination.

 

A better analogy would be the contours of a hill or mountain. It takes less energy to travel along one of these contours than it does to move up or down (ie: stop your self from moveing too close to a planet and colliding with it).

 

It is also more complex than just a single Line running along these contours as well. The speed of the object also makes a difference to the "Tube" (as it is a 3D volume along a line). Each tube is surounded by a nested set of tubes that corespond to different speeds.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

You didn't read the article well. It takes longer to get places in the tubes, but you use tiny amounts of fuel.