Tachyons: Properties, Predictions, Detection

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In summary, tachyons are hypothetical particles that travel faster than the speed of light and possess imaginary mass. They were first predicted by physicist Arnold Sommerfeld and later explored by physicist Gerald Feinberg. Tachyons have been proposed as a potential explanation for certain phenomena such as superluminal motion and quantum tunneling. However, their existence and properties remain highly debated in the scientific community, and no conclusive detection of tachyons has been made so far. Further research and experimentation are needed to fully understand the nature of tachyons and their potential role in physics.
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Eli137
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What are our current predictions, if any, about the properties of tachyons? All I know is that their mass is equal to a complex number and that they speed up as they lose energy. I also heard that they thought neutrinos were tachyons until they fixed the loose cable at the OPERA. Have we predicted antitachyons? Could the beginning of tachyons themselves in the early universe have caused minor causality "ripples" in causality and been the reason for quantum indeterminacy? Do they possibly decay? How can they be detected?
 
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Related to Tachyons: Properties, Predictions, Detection

1. What are tachyons?

Tachyons are theoretical particles that travel faster than the speed of light. They are predicted by some theories in physics, but have not been observed or detected.

2. What properties do tachyons have?

Tachyons are believed to have imaginary mass, meaning they have a complex mass value rather than a real number. They are also thought to have negative energy and negative momentum, which allows them to travel faster than the speed of light.

3. What predictions have been made about tachyons?

One prediction is that tachyons could theoretically travel backwards in time. Another prediction is that they could be used for faster-than-light communication, but this is highly debated and has not been proven.

4. How can tachyons be detected?

Currently, there is no known way to detect tachyons. As they are predicted to exist at speeds faster than light, it would require new technologies and methods of detection to observe them.

5. What impact could the discovery of tachyons have?

If tachyons were to be observed and confirmed to exist, it could have a major impact on our understanding of physics and the universe. It could potentially lead to new technologies and ways of thinking about space and time. However, until they are detected, their impact remains purely hypothetical.

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