Could Dark Energy Be Caused by Imaginary Mass Traveling Faster Than Light?

In summary, Ned Wright's FAQ on the topic is a good place to start. The article linked in the thread is also a good read.
  • #1
tmv3v
17
0
Is there a possibility that dark energy comes from mass that travels faster than the speed of light, making its mass imaginary?
 
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  • #2
hi tmv3v! welcome to pf! :smile:

e = mc² (and the c² is nothing more than a conversion factor),

so if the mass was imaginary, wouldn't the energy be imaginary also? :wink:
 
  • #3
couple of other points nothing moves faster than the speed of light and particles with mass cannot reach light speed. Dark energy is a mysterious energy that is attributed to causing expansion. No one knows where it comes from IE its source. However it is often attributed to being the energy driving expansion.

Dark matter has nothing to do with dark energy by the way, also its slower than relativistic speeds

there are numerous articles in the FAQ subforum that would be handy for you

Ned Wrights FAQ has some useful information you may want to check out

also http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html


myself and other PF members wrote the article contained in this thread its lengthy as it covers expansion principles, redshift and cosmic distance ladder in one overall article. However you will find some info on dark energy in its contents as well.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=685265

the article is easily found here.

Welcome to the forum
 
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  • #4
tiny-tim said:
hi tmv3v! welcome to pf! :smile:

e = mc² (and the c² is nothing more than a conversion factor),

so if the mass was imaginary, wouldn't the energy be imaginary also? :wink:

Thanks you the reply:) I was thinking that's why its hard to detect as they are travel so fast.

Mordred said:
couple of other points nothing moves faster than the speed of light and particles with mass cannot reach light speed. Dark energy is a mysterious energy that is attributed to causing expansion. No one knows where it comes from IE its source. However it is often attributed to being the energy driving expansion.

Dark matter has nothing to do with dark energy by the way, also its slower than relativistic speeds

there are numerous articles in the FAQ subforum that would be handy for you

Ned Wrights FAQ has some useful information you may want to check out

also http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html


myself and other PF members wrote the article contained in this thread its lengthy as it covers expansion principles, redshift and cosmic distance ladder in one overall article. However you will find some info on dark energy in its contents as well.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=685265

the article is easily found here.

Welcome to the forum

Thanks for the reply:). Is there a prove that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light? Is there a possibility that if we input sufficient energy we can somehow exceed it and go up a dimension to remain faster than the speed of light?
 
  • #5
This wiki article describes some of the tests done. There have been extensive testing of GR and SR. For that matter extensive tests on pretty much all of Einsteins theories. None of his theories have been found wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tests_of_relativistic_energy_and_momentum

the above section also covers why a mass particle cannot reach the speed of light.
 
  • #6
tiny-tim said:
hi tmv3v! welcome to pf! :smile:

e = mc² (and the c² is nothing more than a conversion factor),

so if the mass was imaginary, wouldn't the energy be imaginary also? :wink:

This is not entirely true. Einstein's full equation is E=mc2/√(1-v2/c2). Meaning if the mass were imaginary it could travel a speeds greater than c in order to produce a real (meaning non-imaginary) energy. This particle you're referring to is known as a tachyon and is plausible theoretically but there is no evidence of it's existence. These types of particles could theoretically be as varying as the particles we know in the real world and be the cause of the accelerated expansion of the universe (dark energy). However, dark matter is certainly some type of particle that behaves as having a real and positive mass.
 
  • #7
Informative post - For my two cents if others have been needing a a form , my husband edited a blank version here http://goo.gl/EJLYur
 

1. What is dark matter?

Dark matter is a type of matter that has not yet been directly observed, but is thought to make up a significant portion of the total mass in the universe. It is called "dark" because it does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible to traditional telescopes.

2. How do we know dark matter exists?

Scientists have inferred the existence of dark matter through its gravitational effects on visible matter. The rotation speeds of galaxies, for example, cannot be explained by the visible matter alone and require the presence of additional mass, which is thought to be dark matter.

3. What is dark energy?

Dark energy is a mysterious force that is thought to be the cause of the accelerating expansion of the universe. It is called "dark" because, like dark matter, it cannot be directly observed with telescopes.

4. How is dark energy different from dark matter?

Dark energy and dark matter are two separate phenomena. Dark matter is a type of matter that has mass and exerts gravitational effects, while dark energy is a force that is thought to be causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate. They are both called "dark" because they cannot be directly observed with telescopes.

5. What research is being done to learn more about dark matter and dark energy?

Scientists are using a variety of methods to study dark matter and dark energy, including astronomical observations, particle accelerators, and computer simulations. Some experiments, such as the Large Hadron Collider, are looking for direct evidence of dark matter particles. Other experiments, such as the Dark Energy Survey, are observing the distribution of galaxies and the expansion of the universe to better understand dark energy. The study of dark matter and dark energy is an active area of research in cosmology and particle physics.

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