Can the Speed of Light be Greater than c?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the impossibility of achieving speeds greater than the speed of light (c = 3 x 10^8 m/s) in terms of actual information transfer. While phase velocity in certain metamaterials can exceed c, group velocity cannot, meaning no information can be transmitted faster than light. Quantum tunneling experiments suggest potential faster-than-light phenomena, but they do not result in actual propagation of information. Tachyons, theoretical particles that could exceed light speed, are dismissed as mathematical constructs without physical evidence, and quantum entanglement does not facilitate superluminal communication.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity principles
  • Familiarity with quantum mechanics concepts
  • Knowledge of metamaterials and their properties
  • Basic grasp of tachyon theory and its implications
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties and applications of metamaterials in physics
  • Explore quantum tunneling and its implications for information transfer
  • Study the concept of tachyons and their role in theoretical physics
  • Investigate quantum entanglement and its effects on communication limits
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of theoretical physics, and anyone interested in the limitations of speed in the context of relativity and quantum mechanics.

smslca
Messages
63
Reaction score
0
Is there any situation in the world of physics that speed of light > (c=3*10^8)
or can it be? IS there any possibility?
 
Science news on Phys.org
Phase velocity of light in some metamaterials can exceed the speed of light, but not group velocity, so you can't carry any information that way.

There are some experiments for sending information faster than light using quantum tunneling, but there is nothing that actually propagates faster than light there.

Finally, you can play some tricks with metric, but it only makes things travel faster than light relative to external observer. In local space, they are still moving at most at the speed of light.

So if you are looking for actual propagation at faster than light speed, no, it doesn't happen.
 
what are these tachyons. Are tachyons correct in the theory. It is said that they can move faster than light .(read in wikipedia)
 
is this Quantum entanglement related to speed of light? As said in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement

"If the distance between particles is large enough, information or influence might be traveling faster than the speed of light which violates the principle of special relativity. One experiment that is in agreement with the effect of entanglement "traveling faster than light" was performed in 2008. the experiment found the "speed" of quantum entanglement has a minimum lower bound of 10,000 times the speed of light. [5]However, because the method involves uncontrollable observation rather than controllable changing of state, no actual information is transmitted in this process. Therefore, the speed of light remains the communication speed limit."

what does it actually mean
 
smslca said:
what are these tachyons. Are tachyons correct in the theory. It is said that they can move faster than light .(read in wikipedia)

Tachyons are pretty much complete rubbish. They're simply a mathematical possibility in the equations. To illustrate how ridiculous they are, I'll give an analogous demonstration:
Suppose we have a one-dimensional kinematics problem. A runner running with constant acceleration starting from zero velocity and some initial position. His displacement is described by:
x=x_0 + \frac{1}{2}at^2
We can solve for t...
t=\sqrt{\frac{2\left(x-x_0\right)}{a}}
So apparently, for a negative (or x0 > x ) we have imaginary time. Therefore we have given evidence for the existence of imaginary time. Might as well call these runners who move on an imaginary timeline tachyonic runners and make a wikipedia article about it.

Obviously this is ridiculous, we're just abusing equations. In my opinion, and that of a fair number of physicists I know, tachyons are much the same way (of course, my example is overly simplified but I think the point is clear).
 
smslca said:
what does it actually mean
If you 'mix' two particles and then separate them.
If you observe the state of one particle you force it to collapse into a particular state and force the other particle to collapse into the other state.
This message to collapse is faster than light (in some interpretations of QM) - but since you can't pick which state your particle collapses into you can't force the remote particle to do anything in particular.
 
smslca said:
Is there any situation in the world of physics that speed of light > (c=3*10^8)

the only theory, i know of, where something can travel faster than light (and still transmit information) is in the Big Bang Theory in regards to expansion. seems like only space itself can travel faster than the Speed of Light :frown:
 
No, entanglement doesn't have anything to do with the speed of light. There is no super-luminal communication between entangled pairs.

Anything that moves faster than speed of light cannot absorb/emit photons, gluons, or gravitons. So whether or not tachyons exist is sort of a moot point, if they cannot interact with anything.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
935
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
6K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
13K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
6K