Laboratory Simulation of the Solar Gravitational Lens Focal Point Using Hypergravity Centrifugation and Controlled Plasma Systems
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The solar gravitational lens (SGL), whose focal region begins at approximately 550 astronomical units (AU), offers unprecedented amplification factors exceeding 10¹¹, enabling direct imaging of distant exoplanets with extreme resolution. However, deploying telescopes at such distances remains technologically infeasible for the foreseeable future. This paper proposes a novel experimental framework to simulate the optical behavior of the SGL focal point in terrestrial laboratories by combining two emerging technologies: centrifugal hypergravity facilities and magnetically confined fusion plasmas. We demonstrate theoretically that, by generating controlled gradients in plasma density and refractive index within a hypergravity environment, it is possible to reproduce photon trajectories analogous to those produced by gravitational lensing, without actually curving spacetime. The proposed hybrid system integrates a tokamak- or stellarator-type fusion reactor core operating within a hypergravity centrifuge similar to China’s CHIEF1900 facility (1,900 g-ton capacity). Mathematical modeling indicates that radial density gradients of Δρ/ρ ≈ 10⁻⁴ in the plasma, combined with centrifugal acceleration fields on the order of 10³–10⁴ g, can yield optical deflection angles comparable to those produced by solar gravity (~10⁻⁶ radians). This laboratory-scale analog of the SGL would enable the validation of image reconstruction algorithms, study of photon behavior in extreme gradient fields, and development of next-generation interplanetary optical communication systems. Although this approach does not reproduce true spacetime curvature, it establishes a functionally equivalent optical testbed for SGL mission technologies — at a fraction of the cost and time required for actual deep-space missions.
Authors: Revista, Zen, ASTRO, 10
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7126368688
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