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Revisiting Tachyons: New Theoretical Insights and Potential Observability
Context:
A recent paper published in Physical Review D by physicists from the University of Warsaw and the University of Oxford challenges previous assumptions. It argues that tachyons can be integrated into quantum theory and help us better understand its causal structure.
Overview of Tachyons:
- Definition: Tachyons are hypothetical subatomic particles that exceed the speed of light, arising from Einstein’s theory of special relativity. Considered the “enfant terrible” of modern physics.
- Historically, tachyons were considered incompatible with the special theory of relativity.
- Origin of the Term: The term “tachyon” was first used in 1967 by Gerald Feinberg, who suggested they arise from a quantum field with “imaginary mass.”
- Speed of Light Constraint: According to Einstein, as objects approach the speed of light, their mass and energy requirements become infinite, making faster-than-light travel impossible for normal particles.
- An ordinary particle, such as an electron, can exist only at speeds less than that of light.
- Anti-Mass Concept: Tachyons are theorised to have “anti-mass,” allowing them to travel faster than light, even at their lowest energy state.
- Spacetime Diagram: In spacetime diagrams, tachyons could link events outside each other’s light cones, suggesting possible backward time travel and causality violations.
- Detection Challenges: Tachyons travel faster than light, making direct detection challenging.
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New Insights and Solutions:
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Potential Observability & Future Research:
- The authors propose that tachyons are not just a theoretical possibility but could be crucial for understanding the spontaneous breaking process in the formation of matter.
- They suggest that excitations in the Higgs field, before spontaneous symmetry breaking, could have travelled at superluminal speeds.
- The research opens up questions about the potential observation of tachyons and their role in fundamental physics.
