Light speed Impossible Faster than lightProbable?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the concept of light speed and the theoretical existence of tachyons, particles that may travel faster than light. It references Einstein's assertion that reaching light speed requires infinite energy and questions the feasibility of harnessing tachyons if they exist. Participants highlight that tachyons remain purely theoretical, as they have never been observed, and their properties suggest they would have imaginary mass. The complexities of special relativity are discussed, particularly how the mathematics involved leads to contradictions when considering faster-than-light travel. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes the speculative nature of tachyons and the challenges in studying them.
Frosty_TAW
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Light speed...Impossible Faster than light..Probable?

With all the talk of speed of light and what not i have to ask. Einstien said that to travel at the speed of light required an infinite amount of energy, correct? Einstien also said that it is impossible to go from a velocity of below the speed of light and reach a velocity of teh speed of light, correct? well what about particles that are already above the speed of light. I think they exist in theory because i have heard them bieng described in class as tacheyons. so my question is, can tacheyons be harnessed to give things faster than light velocities?
(sorry if i spelled tacheyons wrong)
 
Science news on Phys.org
Tachyons are very theoretical, a figment of the mathematics of Relativity, they have never been observed and may or may not exist. If they do exist it will require an infinite amount of energy to SLOW them down to the speed of light.
 
How would you g about harnessing them if they travel so fast? You wouldn't even be able to detect them becasue the light wouldn't reach you or rather the device ur using fast enough. Is that not correct?
 
You're correct - that's what's so tough about them.
 
also i believe according to the special theory of relativity their mass would be imaginary... correct if I am wrong but doesn't the mass tend to a number over 0 as the speed approaches the speed of light? and similarly, how is it possible for something to go faster than the speed of light if the the term sqrt(1-(v^2)/(c^2)) would end up imaginary?
 


necroposting of the worst sort.
Thread closed
 
Thread 'A quartet of epi-illumination methods'
Well, it took almost 20 years (!!!), but I finally obtained a set of epi-phase microscope objectives (Zeiss). The principles of epi-phase contrast is nearly identical to transillumination phase contrast, but the phase ring is a 1/8 wave retarder rather than a 1/4 wave retarder (because with epi-illumination, the light passes through the ring twice). This method was popular only for a very short period of time before epi-DIC (differential interference contrast) became widely available. So...
I am currently undertaking a research internship where I am modelling the heating of silicon wafers with a 515 nm femtosecond laser. In order to increase the absorption of the laser into the oxide layer on top of the wafer it was suggested we use gold nanoparticles. I was tasked with modelling the optical properties of a 5nm gold nanoparticle, in particular the absorption cross section, using COMSOL Multiphysics. My model seems to be getting correct values for the absorption coefficient and...
Back
Top