The notion that some portion of the hydrogen is used to form/fill the
jump bubble has come up before in prior discussions of this issue.  I
think a refinement (ha) that someone once suggested is that because the
physics of jumpspace are /different/, you very much want something to
keep the bubble "inflated" so that it does not come anywhere close to
the hull.  Hydrogen, preferably protium, is the best stuff to use
because it's so SIMPLE it minimizes the possibility of weird
interactions along the interface, including what we politely call
"high-energy events" and sometimes even /stranger/ things (see the
misjump tables and a hundred old spacer's tales).

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Kelly St. Clair
xxxxxx@efn.org