In our universe, there are two types of particles that exist: the bradyons, particles that travel slower than light, and the luxons, particles that travel at the speed of light. However, scientists have been trying to prove the existence of another type: the tachyon, traveling faster than the speed of light (Asenjo et al. 2009; Figure 1). Our interaction with this particle could mean transmitting information faster than light, in violation of special relativity, but it can also open the door to severe logical paradoxes (Chase 1993; Lea 2021).
Image from (Wikimedia Foundation 2024).
The concept of tachyons was first introduced by Gerald Feinberg in his paper: “Possibility of Faster-than-Light Particles”, where he describes a particle with space-like four-momentum (Chase 1993; Feinberg 1967). In simple terms, this is a particle which can move freely across all four dimensions of our universe, i.e the three dimensions of space and one of time. Its existence is based upon simplified theoretical math and thought experiments conducted by many scientists, all trying to deduce if their findings could be used in real world science (Recami 1984). A tachyon is constructed theoretically by using Einstein’s relativistic equations. Here is one of them:
E = m[1−(v/c)²]−½
In this equation, E = energy, m = mass, v = velocity of the object and c = the speed of light in a vacuum. If tachyons exist, they would have the property v > c, which means that either their energy is imaginary, or their mass is imaginary (Chase 1993). This breaks many physical laws, but that is not the only issue.
Time paradoxes created by these thought up phenomena are one of the main problems this concept presents. Suppose there is a habitable station on Mars with person A, and they send a signal to person B on Earth with the use of tachyons. For person A, this signal was sent out at the speed of light, but for person B, the signal was received backwards in time. If person B sends out a signal in response which says “don’t send a signal”, it would go out from them at the speed of light, but person A would receive it backwards in time; before they even sent out the first signal, making the situation not take place (Lea 2021). A tachyon’s interaction with bradyons or luxons – anything that can signify its existence – has the potential of breaking laws of time, which contradicts the concept of it being a real particle. Yet, some are pushing for the idea that this particle may exist in our universe.
Information gained through research projects has a tendency to be misinterpreted, whether it be intentional or unintentional. Some journal articles claim that neutrinos, one of the fundamental particles, have imaginary mass, and thus are tachyons (Pecina-Cruz 2006). Neutrinos have flavours, or species, which it switches between on a quantum level; an attribute exhibited only by particles that have mass. This is critical evidence of neutrinos not being tachyons, but misinformation about this topic can spread solely from enthusiasm or wanting to make a new discovery (Altarelli and Winter 2003; Figure 2).
Detection of such a particle would be impossible through any means, hence the idea of such a feat has potential for misinformation. Evidence derived fro any analysis, whether it be from thought experiments or from mathematical proofs, all suggest tachyons cannot exist due to the fundamental laws that control the universe, and even if they did, we have no hope of finding them. What this idea truly exhibits is the boundless imagination of humans, and even though such a particle is imaginary, the thought experiment that led to these ideas creates paths into the future of science and discovery (Lea 2021).
Works cited
Altarelli, G., and Klaus Winter. 2003. Neutrino Mass. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/b13585.
Asenjo, Felipe, Cristian A Farías, and Pablo S Moya. 2009. “Statistical Relativistic Temperature Transformation for Ideal Gas of Bradyons, Luxons and Tachyons.” arXiv.Org. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.0712.4368.
Chase, Scott I. Last Modified 1993. “Do Tachyons Exist?” DESY. https://www.desy.de/user/projects/Physics/ParticleAndNuclear/tachyons.html.
Feinberg, G. 1967. “Possibility of Faster-than-Light Particles.” Physical Review 159 (5): 1089–1105. doi:10.1103/physrev.159.1089.
Lea, Robert. 2021. “Tachyons: Facts about These Faster-than-Light Particles.” Space.Com. Space. November 24. https://www.space.com/tachyons-facts-about-particles.
Oleksa-Myron Bilaniuk. 2009. “Tachyons”. Journal Of Physics: Conference Series. Volume 196, Issue 1. DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/196/1/012021. https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-physics/308
Pecina-Cruz, Jose. 2006. “The Imaginary Mass of the Neutrino”. Arxiv. https://arxiv.org/pdf/physics/0604003
Recami, Erasmo. 1984. Classical Tachyons and Possible Applications: A Review. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare. DOI (10.1007/BF02724327).
Samuel Reich, E. 2012. Flaws found in faster-than-light neutrino measurement. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2012.10099
Review of the Universe. n.d. “Tachyons”, Special Topics. Accessed September 15. https://universe-review.ca/R15-28-tachyon.htm
Wikimedia Foundation. 2024. “Tachyons in Fiction.” Last modified on 16 August 2024, at 02:03 (UTC). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyons_in_fiction.
Comments
9 Responses to “Particles of the Fourth Dimension: Real or Imaginary?”
Hey iSci!
The idea for this blog post came to me when I was first having a conversation with Alan. After the first physics lecture, I was discussing with him the concept of photons traveling through the fabric of spacetime and reaching our telescopes at a red shifted frequency. This red shift, also known as the z factor, is used in calculating how far an object is. I wanted to research more about the speed of light and its components when I came upon this highly intriguing thought experiment which integrated mathematical, physical and conceptual laws of the universe all into an idea which I loved writing about. Hope you guys find it informative, and I will be awaiting the critical feedback!
– Vihaan
Hi nagarv!
I’ve never heard of a tachyon before, what a fascinating topic! Here are a few suggestions to help out with the editing process:
– Consider rephrasing your first few sentences to avoid the use of two colons so close together, as I find it reads slightly confusingly. Perhaps try, “In our universe, there are two types of particles that exist: the bradyons, particles that travel slower than light, and the luxons, particles that travel at the speed of light.”Don’t forget to check that you’ve spelt all the particle names correctly! As well, I think starting the next sentence with “however” or another transition word instead of “but” may flow better.
– Don’t forget to centre your figures!
– Don’t forget to include all your in-text citations! For instance, your first sentence is missing a citation at the end. If this information was taken from (Chase 1993) or (Lea 2021), instead of citing at the end of the paragraph, cite wherever you first use information from either of those articles. As well, consider citing at the end of sentences, instead of in the middle as it breaks up the flow. For example, consider citing your last sentence of P1 as (Chase 1993; Lea 2021).
Once again, a great read! Happy editing!!
Isabel
Hey Isabel!
Thank you very much for your feedback! I applied all of the suggestions you made, and the post looks a lot better already!
Have a great day.
– Vihaan
Hi Vihaan,
This was a great blog post! The topic you’ve chosen is both unique and important. I have a few suggestions for your consideration:
• Make sure to center the figures for a more polished and consistent layout. This will also improve the overall aesthetic of your blog and make it easier for readers to follow along.
• Ensure that your figure captions are centered and italicized for uniformity. Additionally, try to keep the captions concise and focused on describing the visual rather than reiterating detailed content from the text. Also, if possible, try to find a clearer image for Figure 1, as the current one appears blurry.
• Ensure that all citations include a DOI or URL when available. For example, in the “Recami, Erasmo. 1984. Classical Tachyons and Possible Applications: A Review. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare.” citation, include the DOI (10.1007/BF02724327).
• If the word count permits, consider crafting a conclusion that ties together your key points.
Overall, your blog is very well-written and thoughtfully laid out. I’m looking forward to reading the final piece.
Om
Hey Om,
I really appreciated all of your suggestions, and have applied all to my blog in hoped of making it a bit better. I really appreciate the DOI for classical tachyons and possible applications: a review, since it either completely slipped out of my mind or I could not find it; one of the two (it all blurs together after a while).
Thank you again, cheers!
-Vihaan
Hi!
Great job on your blog post! You chose a very interesting topic and I really enjoyed reading it. Here are some suggestions that might help you polish it up:
1. Consider centring your figures and figure captions. As well, I believe you’re missing a period after your citation in your first figure caption.
2. Don’t forget to unlink the links in your citations.
3. For your blog posts, try to keep the sources that you use as professional as possible. A good trick for this is checking if they have a DOI, which will let you know they are published research papers. For example, your second source doesn’t seem to be the most reliable, perhaps you can find this information from a more reliable source?
4. Don’t forget to add your comment on why you decided to write about this, and how it is integrated! Sometimes, you might need to approve your comments so they show up to other viewers.
Otherwise, great job! I’m looking forward to reading the final copy.
Daniela
Hey Daniela,
Thank you for all your suggestions! I believe I did put a comment right after I posted the blog, this gave me a chance to double check though which is always great. I applied all the feedback you gave me to my blog in hopes of making it better.
Thank you for reading, cheers!
-Vihaan
Great blog post! It was really interesting to learn more about the tachyon particle. Here are some suggestions on what can be improved…
1. In the second sentence of your intro paragraph you introduce new information about the branyon and luxon particles. Be sure to add an in-text citation at the end of the first sentence new information it is introduced.
2. I would centre Figure 1 and ensure the Figure 1 caption matches the boundaries of the image used. Same goes for Figure 2.
3. P2S1: “The concept of tachyons was first introduced by Gerald Feinberg in his paper: “Possibility of Faster-than-Light Particles.” (Chase 1993), where he describes a particle with space-like four-momentum (Feinberg 1967).” Not too sure what happened with the formatting here. Be sure to take away the period after the title and consider breaking the sentence into two for better flow. For example, “The concept of tachyons was first introduced by Gerald Feinberg in his “Possibility of Faster-than-Light Particles” paper (Chase 1993). Here he describes a particle with space-like four-momentum (Feinberg 1967).”
Hope this helps:) Can’t wait to read the final product!
Hey Ella,
All of your comments were super helpful! I edited P2S1 a bit according to some previous comments I had received about proper formatting of the in-text citations, hope it is more readable now. Otherwise I applied all the changes you suggested.
Thank you, cheers!
-Vihaan