What this work contributes
Derives limits on stable equilibria sustained by fluctuation-mediated forces. For stated electromagnetic material assumptions, ordinary objects in vacuum cannot achieve stable passive levitation through these forces alone.
Where the evidence stops
The assumptions matter: the result is not a ban on every driven, magnetic, fluid-mediated, or nonequilibrium arrangement. Stability and whole-system propulsion are different questions.
Original source
Sahand Jamal Rahi, Mehran Kardar, Thorsten Emig. Constraints on Stable Equilibria with Fluctuation-Induced (Casimir) Forces. Physical Review Letters 105, 070404 (2010).
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.070404
How we use it
This record belongs to Conservation. Its evidence label describes the cited work, not the maturity of a Metric Flight device. Follow the original methods, corrections and conditions before transferring a result to a different geometry or scale.
Editorial note reviewed 19 October 2026. AI assisted research discovery and synthesis. Citation metadata and claims were checked against primary publication or institutional records; full-text access varies. Read the source for the complete method.