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A contribution to Interdiscipline Synthesis Cosmology.
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Tachyons and their relation to the ISC Theory of Existence
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Tachyons and ISC Theory
Article
by
H.K. Richter
A tachyon is an hypothetical particle which always travels faster than light. Predicted by Einstein's theory of Special Relativity, the tachyon possesses reversed causality compared to ordinary particles. That is, tachyons exhibit a "negative time" relative to normal time, with different forms of the particle capable of infinite and near-infinite velocities. Consequently, a tachyon must be represented as having imaginary momentum and/or mass, as viewed from real reference frames. (Lerner, 1246)
Physically, experimentally and empirically, there is no definitive proof for the tachyon's existence, though there are observable and theoretical implications for their existence which deserve serious consideration.
Here is how a tachyon appears to work, in simple terms. Imagine, for a moment, that we have a "magic" gun which shoots imaginary bullets that can travel faster than light. That is, the bullets are tachyonic. But we also have a normal gun that we use to shoot a hole in a relatively thin, wooden board which any normal bullet can completely penetrate. Because of impact and friction and other considerations, a normal bullet will impart some of its forward momentum to the wood as it makes a hole in the board, so that a certain amount of its generalized forces are imparted overall to the board in the direction of the bullet's momentum. It pushes the board in its direction of travel. A tachyonic bullet, however, will impart its corresponding forces in the opposite direction to its direction of travel, should we next shoot an identical board with the magic gun; tachyons all pull rather than push as they pass through ordinary objects. And it also appears to a sublight observer (assuming we can somehow "see" a tachyonic object) as if the tachyonic bullet comes from infinity and lands in the barrel of the magic gun at the instant the trigger is pulled; as if a video of the normal event was run in reverse, though a hole would still be made in the board. What is more, a tachyonic bullet would theoretically be so much more destructive than any ordinary bullet as to reach near infinite destructive power, because its superluminal speed would result in a potentially unlimited magnitude for the forward momentum.
Experimentally, to-date, no emphatic evidence for or against the existence of tachyons has been discovered -- so there has been no shortage of scientists who oppose the very concept. Admittedly, humans do not presently possess the capability of detecting particles that travel faster-than-light in subatomic regions. However, to explore ways of obtaining reliable methods of doing so, consider the relativistic formula for the mass m of a moving particle, denoted;
m = mo / [{1-[(v/c)^2]}^(1/2)] ,
where mo is the rest-mass, v is the velocity of m, and c is the lightspeed constant (~3x10^8 m/s, or ~186,000 mi/sec).
Traditionally, a comparable tachyonic mass, mt, was taken as an analog of some real mass (m), by writing; mt = -im, where i is the standard imaginary-unit [defined; i = (-1)^(1/2)]. But if we allow that certain tachyons may exist alongside real particles, as implied by a possible tachyonic spacetime, then we need a new imaginary unit, called, for instance, the "imagination unit" [represented by i] which distinguishes the imaginary numbers we are used to dealing with (in detectable spacetime) from the imaginary numbers used in tachyonic spacetime, so there are two sets of numbers: (1) those used in ordinary space, where things move at or below c, and time is positive, and (2) those used in tachyonic space, where things move at rates above c, and time is negative.
In practice, it is said that we can look for a negative value for the mass squared, in our search for tachyons.
Attempts to find such a mass by looking for missing mass in a nuclear reactor were not considered fruitful. Other attempts to "discover" the tachyon involved searching for Cherenkov radiaton near a nuclear reactor, on the off-chance that tachyons possess an electrical charge [see the entry "Tachyon", by R.H. Good, in the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, and note the author's conclusion]. (Lerner, 1246, par. 5)
In response to these null results, we should inquire as follows. First, how do we know if imaginary mass is missing or not? It's imaginary. We currently have no way of knowing when it is there, or when it is not. Second, why cling to the dogma that nothing goes faster than lightspeed? In point of fact, Special Relativity does not imply that nothing at all exists (or cannot exist) on the other side of the lightspeed barrier of our detectable spacetime. It merely shows that it takes an infinite amount of energy to accelerate a real massive object up to lightspeed. There is absolutely no hint from Relativity that some kinds of particles which might already exist on the other side of lightspeed cannot be there, and many reasons to conclude that the tremendous amounts of energy released during the Big Bang, which resulted in the creation of the fundamental particles we humans have detected and cataloged so far, also created tachyons of various kinds, which remain to be detected directly.
Finally, if there are tachyons which do emit some form of Cherenkov radiation, then this radiation would likely be a superluminal analog of what we know as Cherenkov radiation, and would therefore remain just as undetectable as the tachyons emitting it.
Consequently, tangible proof for the existance of tachyons is not to be had, although large-scale interstellar bodies are being observed which seem to be moving at tachyonic rates relative to other interstellar bodies [see "Superluminal Velocities in Quasars," entry AQ03, in the Sourcebook Project, by W.R. Corliss, or do a Google search of "superluminal motion"]. And there is experimental evidence that photons of electromagnetism can be made to engage in superluminal tunneling, as has been demonstrated in recent internal-reflection experiments [see "Phase Time Determination For Superluminal Tunneling ...; J.S. Parker; in the Journal of Undergraduate Research In Physics, American Institute of Physics, Fall, 1997, vol.16, no.1, pages 21-25; or do a Google search of "superluminal photonic tunneling"]. What is more, since a negative mass squared has shown up with respect to the neutrino, some physicists are suggesting that the neutrino is tachyonic (go to www.npl.washington.edu/AV/altvw54.html and/or http://www.lns.cornell.edu/spr/2001-07/msg0034089.html ).
Let us therefore take the mathematical implications from Special Relativity as proof-enough to justify our theoretical investigation into the possibility that tachyons exist, so that we may lay groundwork for future theorists to build on (or tear down) in more advanced times. In this respect, therefore, in seeking proof pro-or-con, one area needing special attention is detection technology. Let us herewith turn the detectors on themselves, so to speak, and ask why we must rely so heavily on the use and/or detection of the electromagnetic spectrum, almost exclusively, in all instrumentation. Because we now require a detector so sensative that it can indicate motion or energy release or moving mass -- or anything -- going faster-than-light microcosmically; most especially for distances smaller than the Planck-length (~1.6x10^-33cm). (Lerner, 455)
We should propose that more experimentors go beyond building on the discoveries that have come before, and come up with something new; a more comprehensive means of describing experimental reality. We need an Interdiscipline Synthesis Cosmology (ISC) to provide for a more comprehensive theoretical conceptualization of reality; a complete model of reality, not the usual narrowly-focused ones, although specialization must likewise be allowed to flourish.
The fundamental tenet, of course, already the foundation of quantum mechanics, is that existence is multidimensional. It is, in fact, superdimensional; meaning, along with measureable dimensions associated with our detectable spacetime manifold, there are analogs in alternate-dimensional spacetimes, or "unseen realms", that must be accounted for, and which cannot be ingnored in models presented as complete descriptions of our existence. Fortunately, pure mathematics comes to the rescue with the new discipline gleaned from special-relativity; the discipline of Tachyonics.
In addition to furthering our understanding of reality, Tachyonics holds out the possibility of providing humans with fantastic capabilities, such as instantaneous interstellar communications, the prospect of breaking the lightspeed barrier to spaceflight, and of gaining access to unlimited sources of energy; possibly even enabling us to tap into infinite energy potentials.
If this sounds impossible, remember; science fiction today can become science fact tomorrow.
Tachyonics, the stimulus for devising an Interdiscipline Synthesis Cosmology (ISC), may provide humans with the intellectual means of accomplishing the mental leap required for combining concepts from disciplines as varied as theoretical physics and spiritual theology. Thus, in realizing that we need an ISC to thoroughly explain detectable and undetectable reality, we understand that we are seeking the ability to quantitatively define the actually-imaginary variables we will be needing for our efforts at detecting and then utilizing tachyons sometime in the future, along with defining the symbolically-imaginary variables we are already used to. The simplest representations format that provides us with this ability involves employing the imagination unit (i) to distinquish all superluminal quantities from all sublight quantities, which will eventually, in turn, provide us with the intellectual means of establishing a complete ISC, from which may spring the formulation of an even more comprehensive Theory of Existence (ISCTE).
In short, given the tachyon's putative existence, we can say that Tachyonics leads the way.
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Text Reference
Lerner, R.G. & Trigg, G.L. Encyclopedia of Physics, VCH Publishers, 1991.
Suggested Reading
Elementary Particles, Introduction To. D. Griffiths, John Wiley & Sons, 1987.
"Experimental Evidence for More Dimensions": article by G.L. Kane in Physics Today mag., May '98, page 13.
"Faster Than a Speeding Photon": article by D.H. Freedman in Discover mag., Aug. '98, Vol. 19, No. 8; page 70.
Faster Than Light. N. Herbert, Penguin, New American Library, 1988.
"From Cosmic Rays A Hint Of Tachyons": report in Science News mag., 16 March '74.
"Particles That Go Faster Than Light": article by G. Feinberg in the Feb. '70 issue of Scientific American mag., page 69.
"Particles That Travel Faster Than Light?": article by R.G. Newton in Science mag., 20 March '70; page 1569.
"Star Travelers: Craft powered by antimatter, ...": article by M. DiChristina in Popular Science mag., June '99, page 54.
"Superluminal Velocities in Quasars": entry AQ03, Sourcebook Project by W.R. Corliss.
Superluminal Phenomena in Modern Perspective. S.C. Tiwari, Rinton Press, 2003.
"Tachyons": entry by G. Feinberg in the Encyclopedia of Physics, 2nd Ed., Lerner & Trigg, VCH Publishers, 1991.
Tachyons, Monopoles and Related Topics. E. Recami, et.al. North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978.
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To comment or obtain more information, send email to HKurtRichter@aol.com
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Copyright 2003, H.K. Richter. All rights reserved.
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