Tau sneutrino as tachyonic Higgs

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the hypothesis that tau sneutrinos may act as tachyonic Higgs particles, potentially explaining the OPERA experiment's findings of faster-than-light (FTL) neutrinos. The argument posits that mu-neutrinos transform into tau-neutrinos, with the sneutrino superpartner possibly interacting with the down-type Higgs of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Despite the intriguing nature of this theory, concerns about the statistical significance of the OPERA results, which suggest a 98.6% chance of inaccuracy, are highlighted. The conversation also explores the concept of particle-sparticle mixing mediated by a goldstino, raising questions about the mathematical validity of these ideas.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics
  • Familiarity with the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM)
  • Knowledge of tachyonic particles and their properties
  • Concepts of statistical significance in experimental physics
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  • Research the implications of tachyonic particles in theoretical physics
  • Study the role of goldstinos in supersymmetry and their potential effects
  • Examine the OPERA experiment's methodology and results in detail
  • Explore the concept of particle-sparticle mixing and its theoretical frameworks
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mitchell porter
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I can't resist voicing this idea. You can see its genesis http://johncostella.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/could-the-opera-tachyon-be-the-unbroken-higgs/" also contributed.

The "logic" is as follows: The unbroken Higgs is a tachyonic object already found in the standard model. OPERA's FTL neutrinos are mu-neutrinos that turn into tau-neutrinos. And the superpartner of the tau-neutrino has the capacity to http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0005295" the down-type Higgs of the MSSM.
 
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While this does sound like a good explanation for the supposed superluminal neutrinos, don't forget that the experiment and its results have a statistical significance factor of 6. I believe that that means there's a 98.6% chance of it being inaccurate.
 
Doesn't six sigma mean that the possibility of being accurate is 99.99966%?
 
arrektor said:
Doesn't six sigma mean that the possibility of being accurate is 99.99966%?

Maybe. I just read a different article and it seemed like the Sigma factor meant the likely-hood that something's wrong.
 
mitchell porter said:
I can't resist voicing this idea. You can see its genesis http://johncostella.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/could-the-opera-tachyon-be-the-unbroken-higgs/" also contributed.

The "logic" is as follows: The unbroken Higgs is a tachyonic object already found in the standard model. OPERA's FTL neutrinos are mu-neutrinos that turn into tau-neutrinos. And the superpartner of the tau-neutrino has the capacity to http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0005295" the down-type Higgs of the MSSM.
I also had a similar idea, but was not able to make it more concrete. I hope someone could develop the idea further. This potentially could explain TWO things at once: OPERA experiments and failures to find the massive Higgs particle.
 
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One problem with this idea is that it's the sneutrino, not the neutrino, which is a tachyon, and the idea of "neutrino-sneutrino mixing" did not appear to make sense.

However, now I'm wondering if you can get particle-sparticle mixing (within the same multiplet) via interactions with a goldstino (the particle which arises from spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry). Could you have a "goldstino VEV" or a "goldstino condensate" which leads to a neutrino spending some time as a sneutrino?

If that were possible, the next problem is that the Higgs is "tachyonic" only in the sense of having imaginary mass, not in the sense of going faster than light. This is the universal conventional understanding, anyway. I speculated http://diracseashore.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/faster-than-light-neutrino-claim/" ).

So, to sum up, the idea here is that you get FTL neutrinos by a goldstino-mediated "superoscillation" into an FTL sneutrino state. Quite possibly this makes no sense mathematically. Also, since there are no extra dimensions or violations of Lorentz invariance involved, the https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=538559" will come up.

But the rumor is that OPERA has confirmed the effect, so we may be headed back to the FTL theoretical races very soon.
 
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