Exploring Limiting Speed and Energy in Particle Acceleration

[hartlw]

Electrical means are the only way to achieve high speeds of a particle. Is it possible that you reach a limiting speed when energy radiates out as fast as it is put in? How is radiated energy accounted for in the total mass?

There really is no non-electrical way to significantly accelerate a body other than ejecting a part of the mass, in which case the mass is not constant. I don't think a compressed spring or cannon will get you up near the speed of light. The speed a body reaches when it accelerates toward the Earth from infinity is escape velocity, about 17000 mph. By the time you get near the speed of light by expelling mass you don't have any mass left.

 

[Meir Achuz]

Electrical means are the only way to achieve high speeds of a particle. Is it possible that you reach a limiting speed when energy radiates out as fast as it is put in? ..

Particle acceleration in a synchroton is limited by the energy at which energy input equals energy radiated.
Particles also achieve high speeds in decay of heavier particles.

 

[Entropia]

It is indeed possible to reach a limiting speed in particle acceleration due to the conservation of energy. As particles are accelerated, they gain kinetic energy, but this energy can also be lost through radiation. As the particle approaches the speed of light, the energy loss through radiation increases, eventually reaching a point where the energy being put in is equal to the energy being lost through radiation. This is known as the limiting speed, and it is the maximum speed that a particle can reach through acceleration.

When considering the total mass of a particle, we must take into account the energy that is being radiated out. According to Einstein's famous equation E=mc², energy and mass are equivalent and can be converted into each other. So as the particle loses energy through radiation, its mass decreases accordingly. This is why particles with very high speeds, such as those approaching the speed of light, have a significantly lower mass than particles at rest.

In summary, electrical means are indeed the most efficient way to achieve high speeds in particle acceleration, and there is a limiting speed that can be reached due to energy conservation. The radiated energy is accounted for in the total mass of the particle, as it decreases as the particle gains speed. This is a fundamental concept in understanding the behavior of particles at high speeds and is crucial in the design and operation of particle accelerators.