What Hypothetical Entities Could Outpace Light Speed?
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Chapter 1: Understanding Light Speed Limitations
In the realm of physics, it is well-established that no object possessing positive mass can achieve the speed of light. While such objects can come exceedingly close—perhaps reaching 99.9(9)% of light speed—they can never fully attain it. In contrast, massless entities, like photons, gluons, and the yet-to-be-proven gravitons, can travel at light speed.
Section 1.1: The Concept of Imaginary Mass
For an object to potentially surpass light speed, it must possess what is referred to as imaginary mass at rest. But what is imaginary mass? It is defined mathematically as a multiple of the imaginary unit, represented by the symbol i, which equals the square root of -1.
Currently, particles theorized to exceed light speed are known as tachyons. However, these entities remain purely speculative, lacking any experimental or observational validation.
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Section 1.2: Observing Tachyons
Tachyons present a unique challenge in observation. Since we perceive objects through reflected light, a tachyon would reach us faster than the light that bounces off it. Nevertheless, when a tachyon nears its closest trajectory point to an observer, the observer will witness it appearing seemingly from nowhere, splitting into two smaller entities that travel in opposite directions. These phenomena are mere optical illusions produced by the Doppler effect.
Chapter 2: The Paradoxes of Tachyon Dynamics
Tachyons exhibit a fascinating characteristic: the lower their kinetic energy, the faster they move. In a hypothetical scenario where a tachyon has zero kinetic energy, its speed would approach infinity. While the necessity of an imaginary rest mass for such a particle seems manageable, it becomes problematic when considering its reference frame; there exists a perspective in which it could move in the opposite direction.
Thus, if one were to fire a tachyon bullet, it might appear as if the victim was struck before the trigger was pulled. This scenario does not contravene physical laws; however, it challenges the notion of free will. The implication that a shooter cannot "undo" their action if they have already seen the target hit raises significant philosophical questions.
This paradox leads me to harbor doubts regarding the actual existence of tachyons.
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