The Nature of Hyperdrive/Hyperspace

[chaoschristian]

Greetings. I am new to the forum although I have been reading and examing the contents of the site for some time.

I am trying to explaing the nature of hyperdrive and hyperspace, in the context of the SW universe, to my son.

I am at a loss for quality information however. Can you please direct me to the best sources of information wherein I might educate myself and form an appropriate explanation of the concepts?

I've seen all of the movies. I've browsed and searched on this website. We own two of the Cross-sections books (episodes 1&2). I have not read any of the novelizations of the movies and am not versed in the EU. Are there good online resources that take a serious look of hyperspace/hyperdrive that you might point me to?

Thank you for your help.

[Ghost Rider]

Here ya go

This man provides an excellent resource of the ins and outs of Star Wars universe.

[Patrick Degan]

To sum up Curt Saxton's descriptions:

• Hyperspace is basically the experience of the universe from a faster-than-light perspective, such as that of a tachyonic object.

• A tachyonic object is the same thing as an ordinary object; the only difference being that the one is moving at a faster-than-light velocity while the other is moving slower-than-light.

• Lightspeed represents the barrier between the two conditional states, which exist due to the principle of symmetry in physics.

• A hyperdrive accomplishes the feat of moving a slower-than-light object to a faster-than-light condition by means of some sort of quantum-mechanical operation, and likewise accomplishes the feat of moving a faster-than-light object to a slower-than-light condition. This is because just as it is impossible for any slower-than-light object to simply accelerate to lightspeed, it is also impossible for any faster-than-light object to simply decelerate to lightspeed; either of which would require infinite energy.

[Cykeisme]

Should pop the bit about tachyonic objects moving faster when they have less energy in there.. though he'd probably get that from the linky.

Anyway, Curtis Saxton ftw tbh.

[Ender]

Should pop the bit about tachyonic objects moving faster when they have less energy in there.. though he'd probably get that from the linky.

Anyway, Curtis Saxton ftw tbh.

Ok, when your acronyms confuse the military guy, you've gone to far.

[Cykeisme]

Saxton for the win, to be honest.

Excessive acronyms, the horrifying successor to 1337 5p33|<

[Winston Blake]

I am trying to explaing the nature of hyperdrive and hyperspace, in the context of the SW universe, to my son.

Incidentally, might i ask how old your son is? If he's too young or lacks any knowledge of science it might be pointless trying to get him to understand the relativity stuff accurately.

Also welcome to SDN.

This is it. Let me give you one piece of advice. Be honest.

8th Rule: If this is your first time at SDN, you have to fight.

Cue Darth Wong cracking chaoschristian's skull into the concrete floor, then letting himself get beaten to a bloody pulp just to make an obscure nihilistic point.

[chaoschristian]

Thank you all for helping me with my question.

Actually, I feel a little ashamed for having overlooked the technical commentaries - which I sort of had a peripheral knowledge of.

I've read the commentary on hyperspace and am now trying to 1)figure it out for myself, and 2)put into language my son can understand.

For those who asked, he's 7 - but do not underestimate him - he understands more that one would suspect and had already declared that he wants to be a scientist when he grows up. I'm just trying to help him along as best I can.

Again, thank you all for your help.

[XaLEv]

Here's something you could show him.

http://web.utk.edu/~nfortner/nrsd/hypermatter.htm

[Pcm979]

Argh. If that's Lightspeed for Dummies I need Lightspeed for the even-dummer-ies.

So, hyperspace is realspace seen from a FTL perspective, and the Hyperdrive 'jumps' the ship back and forth over the lightspeed barrier, right?

It does this by using imaginary numbers to make the ship weigh nothing, according to the second linky. This is where I get confuzzed. What does the ship's effective mass have to do with breaking the speed of light? Also, how does this tie in with the 'X.Y past Lightspeed' thing?

[Winston Blake]

I think the mass lightening stuff in that link was just hypothetical illustration, it's not a necessary part of canon or accepted 'hyperphysics'. All Saxton's hyperspace theory needs is some strange way of accelerating the ship past lightspeed in less than planck time, then it's real mass simply 'becomes' imaginary. AFAIK the bizarro complex nature of hypermatter is a different matter.
(no pun intended)

[chaoschristian]

Again, thanks to all for you help.

I was able to explain the concept of hyperspace and hyperdrive in a way we both understand and had some fun with it too.

I think the biggest question that was answered was whether or not hyperdrive represents movement through space.

From what I read and understand, it seems that it does.

Originally we both thought the ships were disappearing and reappearing, without actually moving through space. Now, for the SW's Universe at least, we know better.