Spin 0 Particles: Tachyon & Beyond

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The discussion centers on tachyons, which are hypothetical particles with a spin of 0, similar to scalar field particles like the Higgs boson. Participants express skepticism about the existence of tachyons, noting that none have been observed, and debate the implications of tachyons on Lorentz invariance. While some argue that tachyons inherently break Lorentz symmetry, others contend that they can be incorporated into theories without violating this principle, provided they do not couple with ordinary matter. The conversation highlights the complexities and unresolved questions surrounding tachyons and their theoretical frameworks. Overall, the topic emphasizes the speculative nature of tachyons in modern physics.
Chaos' lil bro Order
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The tachyon has a spin of 0, does any other particle have a spin of 0?
 
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Any scalar field particle, like the Higgs, has spin zero. Of course, we've not observed one (yet) so these are hypothetical particles.
 
cristo said:
Any scalar field particle, like the Higgs, has spin zero. Of course, we've not observed one (yet) so these are hypothetical particles.

What is a "scalar field particle"?
 
Chaos' lil bro Order said:
The tachyon has a spin of 0

I have trouble with this. First, nobody has seen a tachyon. Second, a spin-1/2 or spin-1 tachyon is no more and no less likely than a spin-0 tachyon.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
I have trouble with this. First, nobody has seen a tachyon. Second, a spin-1/2 or spin-1 tachyon is no more and no less likely than a spin-0 tachyon.
This I think refers to the tachyon "problem" in string theories, which is the lowest angular momentum particle along the trajectory (so is probably a scalar :rolleyes:).
 
Vanadium 50 said:
I have trouble with this. First, nobody has seen a tachyon. Second, a spin-1/2 or spin-1 tachyon is no more and no less likely than a spin-0 tachyon.

This may be a stupid question, but would a spin 1/2 tachyon break the Lorentz symmetry?
 
Ack. Yes. Stupid questions. Tachyons break Lorentz invariance anyway.

Dammit Ben...THINK!
 
BenTheMan said:
Ack. Yes. Stupid questions. Tachyons break Lorentz invariance anyway.

Dammit Ben...THINK!

Maybe *I* am the one not thinking but I don't see that a tachyon breaks Lorentz invariance. They may give problems with causality and other stuff but I don't think they break Lorentz invariance (if they do, in what way?) For example, if they travel faster than c in one frame, that will be the case in all frames. Maybe I am missing something obvious. I have never worked much with theories with tachyons but I thougth they were always written in a Lorentz inavraint form.
 
You can have as many tachyons in your theory as you like. It's only when you allow them to couple to ordinary matter that all hell breaks loose in your theory. But sterile tachyons are fine.
 

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