PAUL POTTER'S UFO DRIVE CONCEPT UPDATED (1/30/2010)

     Paul Potter has interesting ideas about how UFOs are powered.  His name is found in the Torah Code in association with some key words pertaining to his research, (see matrix below),  but this page will focus on physics.  After reading Frontiers of Propulsion Science, I thought I saw some similaries between Potter's and those proposed by proposed by Mead and Nachamkin (Frontiers of Propulsion Science , pages 572-573).  However, Potter disputes this, as will be elaborated upon below. 

     The Mead and Nachamkin concept pertains to Zero Point Energy (ZPE)  resonant dielectric spheres (see the diagram on the bottom of this page).  It has some Air Force Research Laboratory computer model support.  In a quick read, I thought it would be worthwhile to compare the Mead and Nachamkin concept with Potter's contentions about a UFO seen by Betty Andreasson Luca, and about spheres that were on  an alleged UFO power plant before it blew up at Dalnegorsk, Russia in 1986. But Potter is adamant that, "In no way is there any connection whatsoever between his explanation of the Dalnegorsk UFO’s power spheres and the Mead-Nachamkin beat-frequency spheres – other than the fact that they are both spherical.  He further states that there is no similarity in principle, no similarity in material construction, no similarity in frequency applied or resultant, no similarity in size, no similarity in electronic circuitry, and no similarity in output. Potter also contends that "at this moment they are UNIQUE unto themselves, and NO-ONE on this earth combines thin-wire metamaterial SOL-GEL electrochemical construction with iron-lanthanoid ferroelectric electron emitters (and certainly not in such a large volume as with the Dalnegorsk UFO spheres)."

     This web pages will also discuss technical issues raised in the Frontiers of Propulsion Science pertaining to harvesting ZPE for spaceship propulsion.

THE DETAILS AVAILABLE

     Part 1 – Mead and Nachamkin.  The textbook refers to a paper by Mead, Jr. F. B., and Nachamkin, J., “System Converting Electromagnetic Radiation Energy to Electrical Energy,” U.S. Patent No. 5,590,031, 1996.  In an effort to extract reach other to produce a “beat-frequency downshift” of high frequency aspects of the ZPF to more readily captured forms.  The diagram at the bottom of this page shows dielectric structures at 12, 14, 112, and 114 placed near each other as they intercept ZPE radiation.  Their sized are chosen to resonate at a particular frequency of the incident radiation.  The slight differences in size results in secondary radiations (see 18, 20, 24, 118, 120 and 124 on the diagram).  The resonance of these secondary radiations produce beat-frequency radiation at a considerably lower frequency than that of the incident radiation.  It is the beat-frequency radiation that can be used to produce electrical energy.  The beat-frequency radiation is collected by antennae (item 22) or by RF cavity structure (item 122).  The radiation then flows by way of an electrical conductor or waveguide (item 26 for the antenna, or 126 for the RF cavity structure) and converted into electrical energy.  The converter incorporates (1) a tuning circuit or similar device to allow it to receive the beat-frequency radiation, (2) a transformer (item 132 with 128 and 130)  to covert the energy to current the required voltage, and (3) a rectifier (item 34 with 23, 30 and 32) to convert energy to current with the desired waveform.

     Dielectric material receiving structures diffract and scatter the ZPE radiation.  Volumes of the receivers are chosen to allow them to resonate at a high frequency equal to the incident ZPE radiation.  Volumes are also affected by propagation characteristics of the medium (vacuum or otherwise) and the receiving structures.

     ZPE radiation energy density increases with frequency.  As such, more electromagnetic energy is available with high frequencies.  As such, size of receiving structures must be miniaturized in order to produce more energy from a system located within a space or volume of a greater size.  The smaller the receiving structures, the more energy that can be produced by the system.   This also seems to be mirrored in the system proposed by Potter.

Part 2 – More on Potter’s Ideas

    In addition to the Andreasson UFO incident, much of Potter’s ideas are based on an alleged UFO incident on “Hill 611” very close to the city of Dalnegorsk in Russia in January, 1986.  What distinguishes that incident from the vast majority of other UFO encounters is that an explosion at the site supposedly left physical evidence.  Potter’s ideas are based on an analysis (back-engineering) of this wreckage.

     Paul writes about ferroelectric ceramic compounds that contain rare-earth lanthanide elements which can provide a high yield of electrons when stressed by a rapidly changing electric field.  He mentions that debris from the Dalnegorsk incident included burned out carbon glass spheres with “Splits of lead and hundreds of small iron-alloy balls which contained rare-earth elements lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, praseodymium and promethium.  As noted earlier, he states that stressing ferroelectric compounds yields electron emissions because of the unique dielectric structure of their molecular domains.  He then relates this to four glass spheres that had micro-hot spots that glowed momentarily when a UFO was powered up, but this is initially based on the Andreasson report again (where we have no physical evidence).  However he argues that the Dalnegorsk UFO sphere also showed signs of a wire network embedded inside. 

     Potter thinks three existing fields of research run parallel to science portrayed in the spheres:

1. Wire-network metamaterial dielectrics.

2. Inter-connection of the ferroelectric spontaneous polarity reversal ceramics within thin-wire network metamaterials. 

3.  Microwave excitation of the external surfaces of the spheres.

    Paul asserts that wire networks are necessary as an oscillation device to facilitate oscillations in the 3 to 8 GHz microwave frequency range.  This he believes turns the glass spheres into an artificial metal while retaining the dielectric properties of a non-metal.  A dielectric material, of course, is a non-conductor (insulator).  So in effect, he argues that such materials can be switched from being a conductor to being an insulator by changing the frequency of the electric field.  This he relates to recent negative refraction index (NRI) material research.

     Potter discusses the effects of microwaves frequency oscillation in the spheres, and the advantage of metamaterials which feature thin-wire networks similar to what was supposedly seen in the wire mesh network embedded in the remains of the Dalnegorsk UFO.  Putting aside the issue of the reliability of the UFO reports, the real issue of concern is whether or not the repulsion electrons that he attributes to spontaneous polarity reversals of ferroelectric and lanthenoid domains will provide the required thrust to overcome conservation of momentum issues.  For any kind of serious propulsion mechanism the vehicle must accelerate by providing an equal and opposite change in momentum to a reaction mass.  As Marc Millis states in the textbook, “for land vehicles, the reaction mass is the Earth’s surface; for rockets, it is their propellant, and for space sails, it is the light that hits the sails.”  So do electrons constitute enough of a propellant?

    Potter goes back to the Andreasson UFO, claiming that the UFO’s central layout was “designed to direct its four internal fields of pulsing magnetic flux through its four sphere-sets, so that those flux lines will permeate the outside surfaces of each of the four spheres exactly where their plasmonic waves will be oscillating.”  But conservation of momentum issues still remain, though there may be in solution if, as he speculates, the spheres in any way act as ZPF harvesters.  However, he too expresses the same concern that I have.  He raises the question of “whatever medium is on the outside of these spheres.”

     What could be outside these spheres, in deep space?  To answer this, we must turn to the Frontiers in Propulsion Textbook, Table 7 on page 152, entitled “Equivalent Volumes to Contain a Metric Ton of Matter” in the Chapter 3 by Marc Millis on Prerequisites For Space Drive Science. Note the extroardinary degree of uncertainty for the mass density of both the quantuum vacuum and spacetime itself:

Equivalent Volumes to Contain A Metric Ton (Mt) of Matter
Candidate Phenomenon	Galactic Hydrogen	Dark Energy	Dark Matter	Cosmic Microwave Background	Quantum Vacuum	Spacetime
Equivalent Mass Density	10-21	10-26	10-27	10-31	1036±62	10-1±26
Volume required to encompass 1 MT (m3)	1024	1029	1030	1033	10-33±62	104±26

      In the Table below we again see the problem involved in trying to ascertain the quantum vacuum energy density (Zero Point Energy density).    This type of  energy may be synonomous with Dark Energy.  If it is, the energy available is only 10^-9 Joules per cubic meter.  Should the correct estimate is based on the Compton frequency (10²³ Hz ) of the nucleon, it's 10³⁵ Joules per cubic meter - which is 44 orders of magnitude greater.  The upper limit, established by applying the Uncertainty Principle to the structure of space-time itself, and the Planck frequency (10⁴³ Hz ), is at 10¹¹³  Joules per cubic meter.  So here we jump another 78 orders of magnitude in energy that we could theoretically tap into and "harvest."  With so much "Uncertainty," it is no wonder that Marc Millis proclaims that this isan area where more discoveries can be made.

Note by Barry S. Roffman: My research on Paul Potter’s work has not been followed up for almost a year now.  However, today (January 28, 2010) I received the following e-mail from him. 

Hello again Barry…

See attached the new versions (in PDF) of Meholic’s paper, he says its for public consumption so you are quite at liberty to publish it on your website. I took the liberty of asking him to update the Onion Drive reference last year and as you will see he has kindly done so. The Onion reference is on p42 and in the biblio on p64.

Oh, by the way, can you please clarify on your web pages that IN NO WAY is there ANY CONECTION WHATSOEVER between my explanation of the Dalnegorsk UFO’s power spheres and the Mead-Nachamkin beat-frequency spheres – other than the fact that they are both spherical ! There is no similarity in principle no similarity in material construction no similarity in frequency applied or resultant no similarity in size no similarity in electronic circuitry no similarity in output. At this moment they are UNIQUE unto themselves, and NO-ONE on this earth combines thin-wire metamaterial SOL-GEL electrochemical construction with iron-lanthanoid ferroelectric electron emitters (and certainly not in such a large volume as with the Dalnegorsk UFO spheres). I do wish you’d read what I have published in “Gravitational Manipulation of Domed Craft” rather than writing your own fantasies that seem to be written by you to fulfill your own particular agenda (whatever that is, be it for misinformation or self-aggrandizement).

Such fictitious and perhaps libelous claims that you are making about me using ANY technology derived from the Mead-Nachamkin patent in my book is clearly defamation of the advancements in technology that I have been at pains to portray in my book. Actually, the very reason why I wrote my book was because so many “experts” in the field of UFOs talk a load of nonsense most of the time for the simple fact that they DON’T BOTHER TO GET THERE FACTS STRAIGHT.  

You obviously haven’t bought my book yet and read it, have you, and you are working blind, right, hoping that you can guess what I’ve been writing about !?! Perhaps if you make the above mentioned amendment I will send you a copy.

Paul Potter