Would faster-than-light motion create a gravitational boom?

[bjon-07]

When one goes faster than the speed of sound a sonic boom is created. If one where to go faster than the speed of light, would a gravitatonal boom be formed? Does this question even make sense?

 

[da_willem]

Yes it does. In another medium than vacuum. You can't go fatser than the speed of light in vacuum. Light slows down in other media, so you can (in principle) catch up with a light beam. I didn't understand 'gravitational boom' part. What has gravity to do with you catching up with a light beam? (Your gravitational attraction to other objects increases as you speed up, but in that sense there is nothing special about the threshold of the speed of light in the medium you're in)

There is an effect (and also measured) when particles go fatser than the speed of light in a certain medium other than vacuum. You might want to search on 'cerenkov radiation'.

 

[bjon-07]

basically what I was asking is what happens if a massive (is this the right word for object that contain mass?) travels faster than the speed of gravitiy.

We talked about cerenkov radiation in class today and how it produces a Mach Cone of light. If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum, you a Mack cone of gravitational waves be created?

 

[kirovman]

basically what I was asking is what happens if a massive (is this the right word for object that contain mass?) travels faster than the speed of gravitiy.

We talked about cerenkov radiation in class today and how it produces a Mach Cone of light. If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum, you a Mack cone of gravitational waves be created?

Massive is the correct adjective for a particle which has massive. Therefore "massive particle" is a suitable description.

And to answer your question, massive particles can not travel equal to or faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
So if you want to test this theory you may try, but you will surely not get any result, since you can't travel faster than light.

 

[Nenad]

If you went a massive object went faster than the speed of light in a vacum,

Speed of Gravity = Speed of light in a vacuum = C

the massive object will never reach or exceed the speed of a gravity wave.

Regards,

Nenad