



                (word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2)
                      Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
                           Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
                                    PO BOX 1031
                                Mesquite, TX 75150

                       There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS
                  on duplicating, publishing or distributing the
                       files on KeelyNet except where noted!

                                   June 27, 1992

                                    SCROLL1.ASC
       --------------------------------------------------------------------
               This file shared with KeelyNet courtesy of Guy Resh.
       --------------------------------------------------------------------
                             (Sourced from Jan Noring)
       Article 328 of alt.sci.physics.new-theories:
       Path: merlin.hgc.edu!psinntp!rpi!usc!apple!netcomsv!mork!noring
       From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
       Newsgroups: alt.sci.physics.new-theories
       Subject: Dr. Puthoff:  Speculations  on  Energy  Production From the
                             Vacuum (LONG)
       Summary: Paper originally published  in  Speculations in Science and
                Technology Date: 24 Mar 92 18:57:38 GMT
       Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services
                     (408 241-9760 guest)
       Lines: 541

       Reproduced below, with  the  permission of the author,  is  a  paper
       written by Dr.  Harold  E. Puthoff, a respected physicist in quantum
       electrodynamics (QED) and in the relatively  new field of stochastic
       electrodynamics (SED).  This    paper   originally    appeared    in
       Speculations in Science  and  Technology,  vol.  13, no. 4, pp. 247-
       257, 1990.  The  reader  is encouraged  to  obtain  a  copy  of  the
       original paper since  the  figures could not be reproduced  here  in
       ASCII.

       This paper speculates,  using  current  theories,  that *net* energy
       MIGHT (and only might) be extractable  from  the  vacuum  of  space.
       Such a possibility    does    not   necessarily   violate    current
       thermodynamic laws since  all  we  need  to  do  is  to  redraw  our
       thermodynamic boundaries to  include   the   vacuum  energy  of  the
       universe and its  attributes.   Dr.  Puthoff  is currently  pursuing
       experimental studies to  ascertain  whether or not there is tappable
       "excess" energy in  the  vacuum (theoretical  considerations  cannot
       ascertain the answer  to  this  although there are several  possible
       reasons why it  could  exist).  Since the publication of this paper,
       some preliminary experimental  results   by   Dr.  Puthoff  and  his
       associates using a  "condensed  charge  technology device"  indicate
       that the vacuum  indeed  has  significant  "excess"  energy  that is
       tappable; further work to make sure  of  their results (to avoid the
       problems that plagued  the  cold fusion controversy),  and  eventual
       publication will be done.  A patent has already been granted on this
       device:  Patent Number  5,018,180,  "Energy  Conversion  Using  High
       Charge Density..."   As an interesting  aside,  in  my  conversation
       with Dr. Puthoff   recently,   he   believed  that  anomalous   heat
       generation observed in several "cold fusion" experiments was not

                                      Page 1





       fusion, rather it  was  vacuum  energy extraction (either net energy
       extraction from vacuum energy "excess",  or  vacuum  energy charging
       and later extraction similar to a battery).  This could  explain why
       any anomalous heat  generation  was not accompanied by a neutron and
       radiation signature indicating nuclear  fusion.   Thus,  I'm  cross-
       posting this to the fusion energy newsgroup for their comment.

       The reader is  also  referred to four other related  papers  by  Dr.
       Puthoff which appeared in the literature (three appeared in Physical
       Review):

       "Ground State of  Hydrogen  as  a  Zero-Point-Fluctuation-Determined
       State", Physical Review D, vol. 35,  no.  10,  pp. 3266-3269, 15 May
       1987.

       "Gravity as a Zero-Point-Fluctuation Force", Physical Review A, vol.
       39, no. 5, pp. 2333-2342, 1 March 1989.

       "Source of Vacuum   Electromagnetic  Zero-Point  Energy",   Physical
       Review A, vol.  40, no. 9, pp. 4857-4862, 1 November 1989.  See also
       his replies to  comments  in Physical Review A, vol. 44, no. 5, page
       3382 and 3385-3386, and an Erratum  in  Physical  Review A, vol. 41,
       no. 5, page 2902.

       "Everything for Nothing", New Scientist, pp. 52-55, 28 July 1990.

       ********************************************************************
                               -Beginning of Paper-

              THE ENERGETIC VACUUM:  IMPLICATIONS FOR ENERGY RESEARCH

                                   H.E. Puthoff

                     Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin
                   1301 Capital of Texas Highway S., Suite A-232
                                 Austin, TX 78746
                                  (512) 346-9947

       "The existence of  an actual vacuum was a subject  of  debate  among
       scientists from Aristotle  into the twentieth century.  Since light,
       magnetic fields and heat all travel through a vacuum, something must
       be there.  Borrowing  a word from  Aristotle,  scientists  described
       various kinds of 'aethers' that exist in even the hardest vacuum and
       that pervade space.   Maxwell's theory of electro-magnetism  reduced
       these different types  to  just  one,  called  the  ether.   Various
       experiments were developed to detect  this  ether, of which the most
       famous was the Michelson-Morley experiment, which failed to find it.
       Finally, in 1905, Einstein banished the ether by  means  of  special
       relativity and allowed the true vacuum to exist.

       "But not for long.  The Heisenberg uncertainty principle of 1927 led
       particle physicists to    predict   that   particles   would   arise
       spontaneously from the vacuum, so  long  as  they disappeared before
       violating the uncertainty principle.  The quantum vacuum  is  a very
       active place, with    all   sorts   of   particles   appearing   and
       disappearing.  Careful experiments   have   demonstrated   that  the
       quantum theorists are   correct  in  this  interpretation   of   the
       vacuum...  Furthermore, starting in 1980 with the theory of the


                                      Page 2





       inflationary universe, particle  physicists  have  told  us that the
       entire universe was created as a  'false  vacuum',  a quantum vacuum
       that has more energy in its nothingness than it should.   The  decay
       of that particular vacuum to an ordinary quantum vacuum produced all
       the mass in the universe and started the Big Bang."

       From "The Timetables of Science", Simon and Schuster, 1988

       INTRODUCTION

       Modern physical theory,  specifically quantum electrodynamics (QED),
       tells us that the vacuum can no longer  be  considered a void.  This
       is due to the fact that, even in the absence of matter,  the  vacuum
       is neither truly particle nor field free, but is the seat of virtual
       particle-pair (e.g. electron-positron)   creation  and  annihilation
       processes, as well as zero-point-fluctuation (ZPF) of such fields as
       the vacuum electromagnetic field,  which  will  be  the focus of our
       study here.

       Formally, the energy    density   associated   with    the    vacuum
       electromagnetic ZPF background  is  considered to be infinite.  With
       appropriate high-frequency cutoffs  the  ZPF energy density is still
       conservatively estimated to  be  on  the  order  of  nuclear  energy
       densities or greater.[1]  The enormity of the figures describing the
       vacuum electromagnetic zero-point  energy  raises the question as to
       whether these numbers should be taken  seriously,  whether  they are
       due to some defect or misinterpretation of the theory,  whether  the
       ZPF fields ought  to be considered as 'virtual' or 'real'.[2]  There
       is, however, no question but that  the  ZPF  fields  lead  to  real,
       measurable physical consequences.   One  example is  the  very  real
       Casimir force,[3-6] an   experimentally-verified  [7-9]  ZPF-induced
       attractive quantum force between closely-spaced  metal or dielectric
       plates.  An elegant  analysis  by  Milonni, et al.,  at  Los  Alamos
       National Laboratory shows that the Casimir force is due to radiation
       pressure from the background electromagnetic zero-point energy which
       has become unbalanced  due  to the presence of the plates, and which
       results in the plates being pushed  together.[10]   (We will discuss
       this effect in more detail later when we address the  possibility of
       ZPF energy extraction.)   Other  effects which can be traced back to
       interactions involving the ZPF fields  in  a fundamental way include
       the Lamb shift (the slight perturbation of the emission  lines  seen
       from transitions between  atomic  states),[11-13]  the van der Waals
       chemical binding forces,[14] the stabilization  of  atomic structure
       against radiative collapse,   [15-16]   quantum   field   mechanisms
       underlying the gravitational    interaction,[17]   and   spontaneous
       emission.[18]

       ZERO-POINT ENERGY

       To understand just what the significance  of  zero-point  energy is,
       let us begin with a simple harmonic oscillator as shown in Figure 1.
       According to classical  theory,  such  a  harmonic oscillator,  once
       excited but with  excitation  removed, will come to rest (because of
       friction losses) as  shown  in  Figure  1(a).   In  quantum  theory,
       however, this is  not  the case.  Instead, such an  oscillator  will
       always retain a  finite amount of 'jiggle', as shown in Figure 1(b).
       The average energy (kinetic plus  potential)  associated  with  this
       residuum of motion, the so-called zero-point energy,  is  given  by:
       <E>= hw/2, where 'h' is Planck's constant (h= 1.054e-34 joule/sec)

                                      Page 3





       and 'w' [really  'omega']  is  the  frequency  of  oscillation.  The
       meaning of the adjective 'zero-point'  is  that  such  motion exists
       even at a  temperature  of absolute zero where no thermal  agitation
       effects remain.  Similarly,  if  a  cavity  electromagnetic  mode is
       excited and then left to decay,  as  shown  in  Figure  2, the field
       energy dies away,  again  to  a  minimum  value <E>=  hw/2  (half  a
       photon's worth), indicating   that  fields  as  well  as  mechanical
       systems are subject to zero-point  fluctuations.  It is the presence
       of such ZPF 'noise' that can never be gotten rid of,  no  matter how
       perfect the technology, that sets a lower limit on the detectability
       of electromagnetic signals.

       If we now  consider  the universe as a whole as constituting a giant
       cavity, then we approach a continuum of possible modes (frequencies,
       directions) of propagation of electromagnetic waves.  Again, even in
       the absence of overt excitation,  quantum  theory  has  us assign an
       <E>= hw/2 to each mode.  Multiplication of this energy  by a density
       of modes factor  [19]  then  yields  an  expression for the spectral
       energy density that characterizes  the  vacuum electromagnetic zero-
       point energy

                        rho(w)dw = [w^2/pi^2*c^3]/[hw/2]dw

              = (hw^3)/(2*pi^2*c^3)dw  joules/m^3            (eqn. 1)

       There are a   number   of   properties  of  the  zero-point   energy
       distribution given in  equation  1  that are worthy of note.  First,
       the frequency behavior is seen to diverge as w^3.  In the absence of
       a high-frequency cutoff this would imply an infinite energy density.
       (This is the source of such statements  regarding  a  purely  formal
       theory.)  As discussed  by Feynman and Hibbs, however,  we  have  no
       evidence that QED  remains  valid at asymptotically high frequencies
       (vanishingly small wavelengths).[1]   Therefore, we are justified in
       assuming a high-frequency  cutoff,  and  arguments   based   on  the
       requirements of general relativity place this cutoff near the Planck
       frequency (~10^-33 cm).[17]   Even with this cutoff the mass-density
       equivalent of the vacuum ZPF fields  is  still on the order of 10^94
       g/cm^3.  This caused  Wheeler  to remark that "elementary  particles
       represent a percentage-wise  almost  completely negligible change in
       the locally violent  conditions that  characterize  the  vacuum...In
       other words, elementary  particles  do  not  form   a  really  basic
       starting point for   the   description  of  nature.   Instead,  they
       represent a first-order correction  to vacuum physics."[20]  As high
       as this value is, one might think that the vacuum  energy  would  be
       easy to observe.   Although  this  is true in a certain sense (it is
       the source of  quantum noise), by  and  large  the  homogeneity  and
       isotropy (uniformity) of   the   ZPF  distribution   prevent   naive
       observation, and only   departures  from  uniformity  yield  overtly
       observable effects.

       Contributing to the lack of direct observability is a second feature
       of the ZPF  spectrum;   namely,  its  Lorentz  invariance.   Whereas
       motion through all other radiation fields, random or  otherwise, can
       be detected by  Doppler-shift  phenomena,  the ZPF spectrum with its
       cubic frequency dependence is unique  in  that detailed cancellation
       of Doppler shifts   with  velocity  changes  leaves   the   spectrum
       unchanged.  (Indeed, one  can  derive  the  ZPF spectrum to within a
       scale factor by  simply  postulating   a   Lorentz-invariant  random
       radiation field.  [21,22])  Thus, although any particular component

                                      Page 4





       may Doppler shift  as  a result of motion, another component Doppler
       shifts to take its place.  It is also  the case, again unique to the
       ZPF cubic-frequency-dependent spectrum, that Doppler  shifts  due to
       other phenomena (e.g.,  cosmological expansion, gravitation) also do
       not alter the  spectrum.  [23]  This  stands  in  contrast  to,  for
       example, the 3 K blackbody (thermal) microwave background  left over
       from the Big Bang which cools with cosmological expansion.

       Yet another feature  of  the  ZPF  spectrum,  related to its Lorentz
       invariance and again   unique   in   comparison   with   all   other
       competitors, is the  complete  lack  of a drag force  on  a  charged
       particle passing through  it.   This  is  because such a drag forced
       (the so-called Einstein-Hopf  drag  [24])  is  proportional  to  the
       factor [rho(w) -  (w/3)*(d  rho/dw)], and this vanishes  identically
       for rho(w) ~= w^3.

       On the other  hand,  accelerated  motion  through  the vacuum can in
       principle reveal the presence of  the  ZPF  energy density directly.
       Unlike uniform motion  in  which delicate cancellations  of  Doppler
       shifts leave the   motion  undetected,  in  accelerated  motion  the
       Doppler-shift cancellations are no  longer  sustained.  As a result,
       the Lorentz-invariant spectrum  which  holds  in uniform  motion  is
       augmented by additional terms.  One factor yields a thermal (Planck)
       spectrum of temperature  T= h*a/2*pi*c*k, where 'a' is acceleration,
       'k' is Boltzmann's constant and 'T'  is  temperature.  This is known
       as the Davies-Unruh effect.  [25,26]  Yet another factor which shows
       up in the ZPF spectrum of an accelerated observer is  found, via the
       equivalence principle, to  reveal  a  deep  connection between zero-
       point energy and gravity along lines originally proposed by Sakharov
       [27] (that gravity could be understood  as an induced effect brought
       about by changes in the quantum fluctuation energy of the vacuum due
       to the presence of matter [17]).

       Thus we see that, with its roots in relativity theory which banished
       the ether, QED has in some sense come full circle to provide us with
       a model of an energetic vacuum that once again constitutes  a plenum
       rather than a void.

       SOURCE OF ZERO-POINT ENERGY

       The fact that  the  vacuum  constitutes  an  energy  reservoir leads
       naturally to the question as to where  the  zero-point  energy comes
       from, specifically, the  vacuum  electromagnetic  zero-point  energy
       under discussion here.   (This  is  an especially important issue if
       one considers the possibility of  extracting  such  energy for use.)
       Nature provides us with but two alternatives: existence  by  fiat as
       part of the boundary conditions of the present universe (like, for
       example, the 3  K cosmic background radiation left over from the Big
       Bang), or generation by the (quantum  fluctuation) motion of charged
       particles that constitute  matter.   This  latter  possibility   was
       explored in a recent paper by the author, with positive results.[23]

       The argument goes  as  follows.   Given charged particles in quantum
       zero-point motion throughout the universe, a 1/r^2 dependence of the
       radiation from such motion, and an  average  volume  distribution of
       such particles in  spherical shells about any given  point  that  is
       proportional to the area of the shell (that is,proportional to r^2),
       one could reasonably  expect  to  find  at  any given point a sum of
       contributions from the surrounding shells that yielded a high-

                                      Page 5





       density radiation field.   (Recall  a  similar argument in astronomy
       associated with Olbers' paradox.)  The high-density ZPF fields would
       appear to be just such a field.

       The details of the calculations examine  the  possibility  that  ZPF
       fields drive particle  motion, and that the sum of particle  motions
       throughout the universe  in  turn  generates  the ZPF fields, in the
       form of a self-regenerating cosmological feedback cycle not unlike a
       cat chasing its  own  tail.  This  self-consistent  field  approach,
       carried out assuming inflationary cosmology, is found  to  yield the
       correct frequency distribution and the correct order of magnitude to
       match the known  ZPF  distribution,  thus  supporting the hypothesis
       that the ZPF fields are dynamically generated.

       As it turns out, there is an additional bonus from the calculations.
       A derived expression relating the  zero-point energy density to such
       factors as the mass density and size of the universe  also  yields a
       precise expression for  an observed 'cosmological coincidence' often
       discussed in the  context  of  Dirac's   large-numbers   hypothesis:
       namely, that the   electromagnetic-to-gravitational    force   ratio
       between an electron  and  proton is equal to the ratio of the Hubble
       distance to the size of the classical  electron.   According  to the
       relevant calculations such a cosmological coincidence  is seen to be
       a consequence of  the  cosmologically-based ZPF-generation mechanism
       under consideration that serves  to  link  cosmological  and  atomic
       parameters.

       The overall picture that emerges, then, is that the  electromagnetic
       ZPF spectrum is   generated  by  the  motion  of  charged  particles
       throughout the universe which are  themselves undergoing ZPF-induced
       motion, in a  kind of self-regenerating grand ground  state  of  the
       universe.  In contrast to other particle-field interactions, the ZPF
       interaction constitutes an  underlying,  stable 'bottom-rung' vacuum
       state that decays no further but  reproduces  itself  on  a dynamic-
       generation basis.  In such terms it is possible to  explicate  on  a
       rational basis the observed presence of vacuum zero-point energy.

       VACUUM ENERGY EXTRACTION?

       As we have  seen,  the  vacuum  constitutes  an  extremely energetic
       physical state.  Nonetheless, it  is  a  giant  step to consider the
       possibility that vacuum energy can be 'mined' for practical use.  To
       begin, without careful thought as to the role that  the vacuum plays
       in particle-vacuum interactions,  it would only be natural to assume
       that any attempt to extract energy  from  the  vacuum  might somehow
       violate energy conservation laws or thermodynamic constraints (as in
       misguided attempts to  extract  energy  from  a  heat   bath   under
       equilibrium conditions).  As  we  shall  see,  however,  this is not
       quite the case.

       The premier example for considering  the  possibility  of extracting
       energy from the vacuum has already appeared in the  literature  in a
       paper by R.L.   Forward  entitled  "Extraction  of Electrical Energy
       From the Vacuum..."[28]; it is the  Casimir  effect.  Let us examine
       carefully this ZPF-driven phenomenon.

       With parallel, non-charged conducting plates set a distance D apart,
       only those (electromagnetic) modes which satisfy the  plate boundary
       conditions (vanishing tangential electric field) are permitted to

                                      Page 6





       exist.  In the  interior  space  this  constrains  the  modes  to  a
       discrete set of wavelengths for which  an  integer  number  of half-
       wavelengths just spans   the  distance  D  (see   Figure   3).    In
       particular, no mode  for  which  a half-wavelength is greater than D
       can fit;  as  a result, all longer-wavelength  modes  are  excluded,
       since for these wavelengths the pair of plates constitutes  a cavity
       below cutoff.  The  constraints for modes exterior to the plates, on
       the other hand, are much less restrictive  due  to the larger spaces
       involved.  Therefore, the number of viable modes exterior is greater
       than that interior.  Since such modes, even in vacuum state, carry
       energy and momentum, the radiation pressure inward overbalances that
       outward, and detailed calculation shows that the plates  are  pushed
       together with a force that varies as 1/D^4, viz,[10]

                F/A = -(pi^2/240)(h*c/D^4)  newtons/m^2    (eqn. 2)

       The associated attractive  potential  energy (Casimir energy) varies
       as 1/D^3,

                U/A = -(pi^2/720)/(h*c/D^3)  joules/m^2    (eqn. 3)

       As is always the case, bodies in  an  attractive  potential, free to
       move, will do so, and in this case the plates will  move toward each
       other.  The conservation  of  energy  dictates  that in this process
       potential energy is converted to some  other  form, in this case the
       kinetic energy of  motion.   When  the plates finally  collide,  the
       kinetic energy is  then transformed into heat.  (The overall process
       is essentially identical   to  the   conversion   of   gravitational
       potential energy into heat by an object that falls  to  the ground.)
       Since in this  case  the Casimir energy derives from the vacuum, the
       process constitutes the conversion  of  vacuum energy into heat, and
       is no more mysterious than in the analogous gravitational case.

       In such fashion  we  see that the conversion of vacuum  energy  into
       heat, rather than  violating  the conservation of energy, is in fact
       required by it.  And this conversion  can  be  traced  microjoule by
       microjoule as modes  (and  their corresponding zero-point  energies)
       are eliminated by  the  shrinking  separation  of  the plates.  What
       takes getting used to conceptually is that the vacuum state does not
       have a fixed energy value, but changes with boundary conditions.  In
       this case vacuum-plus-plates-far-apart is a higher energy state than
       vacuum-plus-plates-close-together,  and  the  combined  system  will
       decay from the  higher-energy  state to the lower,  in  the  process
       creating kinetic energy,  then  heat,  to  conserve  overall energy.
       Similar vacuum-decay processes   have   been  discussed  within  the
       context of so-called charged vacuum states.[29]

       With regard to  extracting zero-point energy for use,  in  Forward's
       proposed embodiment the  two  plates  in  a  Casimir  experiment are
       charged with the   same-sign   charge    (e.g.,    electrons).    At
       sufficiently small spacings the Coulomb repulsion between the plates
       (which goes in  an  inverse square law 1/D^2 or less,  depending  on
       spacing and geometry)  can  always be overcome by the stronger 1/D^4
       attractive Casimir force.   The   plates  will  therefore  be  drawn
       together in a   collapsing   motion.   This  confines   the   charge
       distribution to a  smaller  and  smaller  volume  and  results in an
       increased electric field strength in the vicinity of the plates.  In
       such fashion the zero-point energy  (Casimir  energy) is transformed
       into stored Coulomb energy, which can then be extracted by a variety
       of means.
                                      Page 7





       Although demonstrating in  principle  the  extraction of energy from
       the vacuum, Forward's  embodiment   is  admittedly  impractical  for
       significant, continuous energy generation, for a number  of reasons.
       First and foremost  is  the  fact that the generator is a 'one-shot'
       device.  To recycle the generator  one  must put as much energy into
       the device to   return  the  plates  to  their  original   separated
       positions as was  obtained  during  the  collapse phase, as would be
       expected in any conservative potential.   As  a  result,  given  the
       losses in any real system, not even 'break-even'  operation  can  be
       achieved, let alone net energy gain.

       Let us carry  this  one step further, however.  If one could arrange
       to have an inexhaustible supply of such devices, and if it took less
       energy to make  each device than  was  obtained  from  the  Casimir-
       collapse process, and if the devices were discarded after use rather
       than recycled, then  one  could  envision the conversion  of  vacuum
       energy to use  with a net positive yield.  Although almost certainly
       not achievable in terms of mechanical devices, a possible candidate
       for exploitation along such lines would be the generation of a cold,
       dense, non-neutral (charged) plasma  in  which  charge  condensation
       takes place not on the basis of charged plates being drawn together,
       but on the basis of a Casimir pinch effect.  (Casimir  pinch effects
       have been explored  in  the  literature,  not  with regard to energy
       conversion, but in  terms  of  semiclassical   modelling  of  charge
       confinement in elementary particles, hadron bag models, etc.[30])

       Such an approach would constitute a 'Casimir-fusion'  process, which
       in its cycle  of  operation  would mimic the nuclear-fusion process.
       It would begin, like its nuclear counterpart, with an initial energy
       input into a plasma to overcome a  Coulomb  barrier,  followed  by a
       condensation of charged particles drawn together by a strong, short-
       range attractive potential  (in this case a Casimir  rather  than  a
       nuclear potential), and with an accompanying energy release.  Should
       the energy requirements for plasma formation, and electrical circuit
       and heat losses  be  kept  at a level below that required for break-
       even operation, then  net,  useful  energy  could  in  principle  be
       generated, as in the nuclear case.  Such a proposal  is,  of course,
       highly speculative at  this  point, and further detailed analysis of
       the energetics involved may yet  uncover  some  hidden  flaw  in the
       concept.  Nonetheless, known  to  this author are  programs  in  the
       United States, the  Soviet Union and other countries to explore just
       such an approach on an experimental basis.

       The above provides just one example  of the type of concept that can
       be explored with regard to possible vacuum energy extraction.  Other
       proposals for extracting vacuum energy have been made  as  well,[31]
       covering the gamut  from  the  clearly unworkable to the intriguing.
       To this author's way of thinking,  however,  there is as yet neither
       clear-cut evidence of   experimental  success  nor   an   absolutely
       unimpeachable theoretical construct.   Nonetheless,  it  is  only by
       continued, careful consideration of  such proposals that we can hope
       to resolve the issue as to whether energy can be extracted  from the
       vacuum, as part of a generalized 'vacuum engineering' concept of the
       type suggested by  Nobel  Laureate T.D. Lee.[32]  As a caution along
       the way, the prudent scientist, while generally keeping an open mind
       as to the possibility of vacuum energy  extraction,  must  of course
       approach any particular  device claim or theoretical  proposal  with
       the utmost rigor with regard to verification and validation.


                                      Page 8





       Can the energy  crisis  be  solved by harnessing the energies of the
       zero-point sea?  In the final analysis, given our relative ignorance
       at this point we must of necessity  fall  back  on  a quote given by
       Podolny [33] when contemplating this same issue.  "It  would be just
       as presumptuous to  deny the feasibility of useful application as it
       would be irresponsible  to guarantee  such  application."  Only  the
       future can reveal  whether  a  program  to extract energy  from  the
       vacuum will meet with success.

       ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

       I wish to  express  my appreciation to G.W. Church, Jr., for helpful
       discussion in the exploration of  the  concepts  developed  here.  I
       also wish to  thank K.R. Shoulders of Jupiter Technologies,  Austin,
       Texas, and William  L.   Stoner,  III,  of  OmniTech  International,
       Springdale, Virginia, for continuing  impetus  and  encouragement to
       explore these issues.

       REFERENCES

        1.  Feynman,  R.P.  and  Hibbs, A.R.  *Quantum Mechanics  and  Path
            Integrals*, page  245,  McGraw-Hill,  New York, 1965.  See also
            Misner, C.W., Thorne, K.S. and  Wheeler,  J.A.   *Gravitation*,
            page 1202 ff.  Freeman, San Francisco, 1973.

        2.  See, for example, the Closing Remarks section  in  Boyer, T.H.,
            Phys.  Rev. D, volume 29, p. 1089, 1984.  It can be added that,
            although the  approach developed here involves treating the ZPF
            fields as real, an alternative  viewpoint can be taken in which
            the results   of   field-particle  interactions   traditionally
            attributed to  ZPF  are  expressed  instead  in  terms  of  the
            radiation reaction of the particles  involved, without explicit
            reference to the ZPF.  For this viewpoint, see  Milonni,  P.W.,
            Phys. Rev.  A,  volume  25,  p.  1315,  1982.   Although  it is
            sometimes assumed  that the radiation-reaction  approach  might
            imply that the ZPF fields do not exist, detailed  analysis (see
            Milonni's paper)  shows  that even though the interpretation of
            ZPF effects  "can  be given  exclusively  in  terms  of  either
            radiation reaction or the zero-point field, *both fields are in
            fact necessary for the formal consistency of the  theory*." The
            interrelationship between these two approaches (ZPF, radiation
            reaction) can  be  shown to be complementary on the basis of an
            underlying fluctuation-dissipation theorem.

        3.  Casimir, H.B.G., Proc. K. Ned.  Akad.  Wet., volume 51, p. 793,
            1948.

        4.  Fierz, M.  Helv. Phys. Acta., volume 33, p. 855, 1960.

        5.  Marshall, T.W.  Nuovo Cimento, volume 38, p. 206, 1965.

        6.  Boyer, T.H.  Ann. Phys., volume 56, p. 474, 1970.

        7.  Wittmann, F., Splittgerber, H. and Ebert, K.   Z.  Phys, volume
            245, p. 354, 1971.

        8.  Israelachvili,  J.N. and Tabor, D.  Proc. Roy Soc. London, Ser.
            A, volume 331, p. 19, 1972.


                                      Page 9





        9.  Arnold,  W.,  Hunklinger,  S.  and  Dransfeld, K.  Phys Rev. B,
            volume 19, p. 6049, 1979;  Phys.  Rev.  E,  volume 21, p. 1713,
            1980.

       10.  Milonni, P.W.,  Cook,  R.J.  and Goggin, M.E.   Phys.  Rev.  A,
            volume 38, p. 1621, 1988.

       11.  Lamb, W.E., Jr. and Retherford, R.C.  Phys. Rev., volume 72, p.
            241, 1947.

       12.  Bethe, H.A.  Phys. Rev., volume 72, p. 339, 1947.

       13.  Welton, T.A.  Phys. Rev., volume 74, p. 1157, 1948.

       14.  Boyer, T.H.   Phys.  Rev., volume 180, p. 19, 1969;  Phys. Rev.
            A, volume 7, p. 1832, 1973.

       15.  Puthoff, H.E.  Phys. Rev. D,  volume  35,  p.  3266, 1987.  See
            also New Scientist, volume 115, p. 26, 9 July 1987.

       16.  Cetto, A.M. and Pena, L. de la.  Found. Phys.,  volume  19,  p.
            419, 1989.

       17.  See Puthoff,  H.E.   Phys. Rev. A, volume 39, p. 2333, 1989 and
            references therein.

       18.  Milonni, P.W.  Physica Scripta, volume T 21, p. 102, 1988.

       19.  See, for   example,   Pantell,    R.H.    and   Puthoff,   H.E.
            *Fundamentals of Quantum Electronics*, pp. 179  ff., Wiley, New
            York, 1969.

       20.  Wheeler, J.A.   *Geometrodynamics*,  Academic  Press, New York,
            1962.

       21.  Marshall, T.W.  Proc. Camb.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  61,  p. 537,
            1965.

       22.  Boyer, T.H.  Phys. Rev., vol. 182, p. 1374, 1969.

       23.  Puthoff, H.E.  Phys. Rev. A, volume 40, p. 4857,  1989.  Errata
            in Phys.  Rev.  A,  volume  44,  p.  3385,  1991.  See also New
            Scientist, volume 124, p. 36, 2 December 1989.

       24.  Milonni, P.W.  Am. J. Phys., volume 49, p. 177, 1981.

       25.  Davies, P.C.W.  J. Phys. A, volume 8, p. 609, 1975.

       26.  Unruh, W.G.  Phys. Rev. D,  volume  14,  p.  870,  1976.  For a
            semi-classical derivation, see also Boyer, T.H.   Phys. Rev. D,
            volume 21, p.  2137, 1980.

       27.  Sakharov, A.D.   Dokl.  Akad.  Nauk.  SSSR [Sov. Phys. - Dokl.,
            volume 12, p. 1040], 1968.  See also Misner, C.W., Thorne, K.S.
            and Wheeler,  J.A.   Gravitation,  pp.  426-428,  Freeman,  San
            Francisco, 1973.

       28.  Forward, R.L.  Phys. Rev. B, volume 30, p. 1700, 1984.


                                      Page 10





       29.  Rafelski, J.,  Fulcher,  L.P. and Klein, A.  Phys. Rep., volume
            38, p.  227,  1978.   See  also  "The  Decay  of  the  Vacuum",
            Scientific American, volume 241, p. 150, 1979.

       30.  For the original concept see Casimir, H.B.G.,  Physica,  volume
            19, p. 846, 1956.  Early follow-on efforts include Boyer, T.H.,
            Phys. Rev,  volume  174,  p.  1764, 1968;  Milton, K.A., Annals
            Phys., volume 127, p. 49, 1980;  DeRaad,  L.L., Jr. and Milton,
            K.A., Annals Phys., vol. 136, p.  229, 1981; Brevik, I., Annals
            Phys., volume 138, p. 36, 1982;  Brevik, I.  and  Kolbenstevdt,
            H., Annals Phys., volume 143, p. 179, 1982.

       31.  Booth, L.I.  Speculat. Sci. Tech., volume 10, p. 201, 1987.

       32.  Lee, T.D.  *Particle Physics and Introduction to Field Theory*,
            p. 826, Harwood Academic Publ., London, 1988.

       33.  Podolny, R.   *Something  Called  Nothing*,  Mir  Publ., Moscow
            1986.
                                  -End of Paper-

                    ******************************************
       --------------------------------------------------------------------

         If you have comments or other information  relating to such topics
         as  this paper covers,  please  upload to KeelyNet  or send to the
           Vangard  Sciences  address  as  listed  on the  first  page.
              Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.

           Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
                             Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet

       --------------------------------------------------------------------
                     If we can be of service, you may contact
                 Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346
       --------------------------------------------------------------------
























                                      Page 11


