Oracle wrote:Interesting proposition.
But the photons would not be bombarding the speeding bullet uni-directionally.
Since the bullet cannot travel faster than the speed of light ... it will have multi-directional but random collisions from photons.
Photons are discrete electromagnetic waves (last time I looked in a physics book anyway
) which would transmit energy to said traversing bullet.
The actions of the photons, would cancel each other out in terms of any force effects ... save for transferring the energy which would serve to make the bullet energised (speed up even .. I cannot do the maths ... but I will have a go ....
)
Novus wrote:Well, I assume it would depend on which direction the bullet was fired. If it was fired towards the center of the universe then I assume the greater number of red shift (higer speed photons) photons would have just a little more energy that the blue shift photons and may slow the bullet to a stop befor it reaches the center.
If fired towards emerging red-shift (higher En) photons ... then bullet will gain more Energy ... transferred as heat. If the En transfer is greater than the mass (negative) force from the impacting photons then it will not be slowed. ..... (I cannot remember if photons are assigned a mass ... being energy packages.) Energy does not have mass. Light does not have mass. Hence photons should not have mass.
If it is fired twoards the end of the universe, then assuming the universe will expand untill matter and energy fall apart, then I think it is true the bullet would never stop....and may even speed up.
Agreed fired towards and in same direction as expanding universe would drag it along, but it will not approach or pass speed of light so would expand but should not fall apart necessarily. But again that would depend on material properties of the bullet. But most metallic meteoric objects retain some compactness on their travels without necessarily disintegrating.
Too complex
Unknown variables.
By the way, I am not sure about this but I don't think there is a limit or endpoint to gravity, but after a certain distance it becomes infinitesimally minute. In other words I think we are affected by Pluto's gravity, but it is so minute the only way to measure it is to see the wobble in the sun's travel through the galaxy.
Where is there zero gravity in space? ... Yes there will be gravitational pull of some form from nearest objects ... and immense on passing near black holes...
The gravity generated by speeding bullet will attract (bend / wobble) more photons towards it.
OK .... I will rest the speeding bullet scenario and sleep on it ...
Sweet dreams.
(defeatist!)
... hence deleted the quote, if you have noticed now (but you're too nifty!).
