Non-gravitational interactions of warp fluid with ordinary matter

Ascertain whether the Null Energy Condition–violating warp fluid employed to sustain an Alcubierre-type warp bubble interacts non-gravitationally with ordinary matter as it propagates through the Universe.

Background

The paper simulates the collapse of an Alcubierre warp bubble and analyzes both gravitational-wave emission and matter-energy fluxes. The warp fluid used to support the bubble violates the Null Energy Condition and is modeled with a stiff equation of state during the post-collapse evolution.

In discussing possible observational signatures beyond gravitational waves, the authors highlight that the detailed microphysics of the hypothetical warp fluid is unknown, including whether it interacts with ordinary matter except via gravity. If such interactions exist, they could produce multimessenger signals, making the question of non-gravitational interactions of the warp fluid with normal matter directly relevant to detectability.