First, we extend the special relativity into the superluminal case and put forward a superluminal theory of kinematics, in which we show that the temporal coordinate need exchanging with one of the spatial coordinates in a superluminal inertial frame, and that the coordinate transformations from any superluminal inertial frame to the rest frame (here rest just says in a relative sense) are the same as the Lorentz transformations from some normal inertial frame to the rest frame. Consequently, the causality can not be violated. Secondly, we investigate the superluminal theory of dynamics and find that the total energy of any object moving at a speed of $v$ (faster than the speed of light in vacuum $c$) is equal to the total energy of that object moving at a speed of $u (u<c)$ provided that the product of two speeds satisfy $uv=c^{2}$. Lastly, we conjecture that this superluminal theory can give a novel interpretation to the essence of matter waves put forward by de Broglie.
By relativity we show that, although the superluminal motion of classical particles is forbidden, the superluminal transportation of quanta of any massive matter field is possible. Exact theoretical derivation and precise numerical computation are presented. To search the superluminal phenomena is therefore still meaningful.
Within an axiomatic framework of kinematics, we prove that the existence of faster than light particles is logically independent of Einstein's special theory of relativity. Consequently, it is consistent with the kinematics of special relativity that there might be faster than light particles.
So far, none of the known and confirmed experiments have cast any doubts on foundations of special relativity (SR) (see, e.g., experiments on superluminal quantum tunneling [1-3]). The same is true regarding the impact of quantum non-locality; as we know it today, in no way does it challenge SR [4, 5]. In this brief comment we argue that even if the superluminal neutrinos do exist, this fact by itself will not overturn Relativity.
We develop an extension of special relativity in $1+3$ dimensional spacetime to account for superluminal inertial observers and show that such an extension rules out the conventional dynamics of mechanical point-like particles and forces one to use a field-theoretic framework. Therefore we show that field theory can be viewed as a direct consequence of extended special relativity.
First, some superluminal phenomena and experiments are introduced briefly. Next, based on the basic principles of the special relativity, the Lorentz transformation (LT) with smaller velocity and the general Lorentz transformation (GLT) with larger velocity should be derived simultaneously by the classification of the timelike and the spacelike intervals. In deriving LT, an additional independent hypothesis has been used, thus the values of velocity are restricted absolutely, and the spacelike interval is excluded. LT and GLT are connected by the de Broglie relation. The fundamental properties…
During the years 2009 to 2011, neutrino beams were fired repeatedly from CERN towards a detector in Italy's Gran Sasso tunnel, some 4 deg south and 7 deg east of CERN, at a distance of 730.5 km, in the shape of short bunches of particles. Their time of flight (2.5 msec) was measured at high accuracy (nsec) with caesium clocks (Reich 2011). Remarkably, the CNGS team found a deficit of 61 nsec compared with propagation at the speed of light, and concluded at superluminal speeds, of order 10$^{-4.6}$. In this communication, I will argue that this is the first experiment to test Einstein's theory …
Modification of special theory of relativity is proposed to describe the propagation of signals with superluminal velocity. Modified kinematics and Lorentz transformations of Maxwell's equations are described. A possible experiment on measuring the speed of light for verification of the theory is discussed. It is shown that replacing the maximum speed in special theory of relativity by the neutrino superluminal velocity measured by the OPERA collaboration leads to lower value of the muon mass reconstructed from the muon decay products with the modified relativistic kinematics. This value is in…
Since some experiments have found superluminality, we assume that the particles in the universe are divided into three classes: the subluminal, luminal and superluminal particles by the speed of light, their energy-momenum relations are E2 = m2c4 + c2p2, E2 = c2p2, and E2 + m2c4 = c2p2, respectively. The Einstein's theory of relativity still holds and is consummated by the existence of superluminal particles, and the Lorentz symmetry of the spacetime is also not violated. There should have two sets of inertial reference systems: subluminal and superluminal reference systems. Two inertial refer…
Experiments done with single photon in the early 1990's produced a surprising result: that single photon pass through a photon tunnel barrier with a group velocity faster than the vacuum speed of light. Recently, a series of experiments revealed that electromagnetic wave was able to travel at a group velocity faster than $c$. These phenomena have been observed in dispersive media. We think all particles can be divided into three kinds in nature: The first kind of particle is its velocity in the range of $0\leq v < c$, e.g. electron, atom and so on. The second kind of particle is its velocity i…
The superluminal behaviors of neutrinos were reported by the OPERA collaboration recently. It was also noticed by Cohen and Glashow that, in standard quantum field theory, the superluminal neutrinos would lose their energy via the Cherenkov-like process rapidly. Finslerian special relativity may provide a framework to cooperate with the OPERA neutrino superluminality without Cherenkov-like process. We present clearly the symmetry, causal structure and superluminality in Finsler spacetime. The principle of relativity and the causal law are preserved. The energy and momentum are well defined and…
We explore the recent OPERA experiment of superluminal neutrinos in the framework of Special Relativity with de Sitter space-time symmetry (dS-SR). According to Einstein a photon is treated as a massless particle in the framework of Special Relativity. In Special Relativity (SR) we have the universal parameter $c$, the photon velocity $c_{photon}$ and the phase velocity of a light wave in vacuum $c_{wave}=λν$. Due to the null experiments of Michelson-Morley we have $c=c_{wave}$. The parameter $c_{photon}$ is determined by the Noether charges corresponding to the space-time symmetries of SR. In…
If textbook Lorentz invariance is actually a property of the equations describing a sector of matter above some critical distance scale, several sectors of matter with different critical speeds in vacuum can coexist and an absolute rest frame (the vacuum rest frame, possibly related to the local rest frame of the expanding Universe) may exist without contradicting the apparent Lorentz invariance felt by "ordinary" particles (particles with critical speed in vacuum equal to c , the speed of light). The real geometry of space-time will then be different from standard Lorentz invariance, and the …
The group-velocity of evanescent waves (in undersized waveguides, for instance) was theoretically predicted, and has been experimentally verified, to be Superluminal (v_g > c). By contrast, it is known that the precursor speed in vacuum cannot be larger than c. In this paper, by computer simulations based on Maxwell equations only, we show the existence of both phenomena. In other words, we verify the actual possibility of Superluminal group velocities, without violating the so-called (naive) Einstein causality. (Subject classes: General physics, Classical physics, Optics, Special Relativity; …
It says in the report$^1$ by Wang et al. that a negative group velocity $u=-c/310$ is obtained and that a pulse advancement shift 62-ns is measured. The authors claim that the negative group velocity is associated with superluminal light propagation and that the pulse advancement is not at odds with causality or special relativity. However, it is shown here that their conclusions above are not true. Furthermore, I give some suggestion concerning a re-definition of group-velocity and a new explanation in special relativity of causality.
The OPERA collaboration reported evidence for muonic neutrinos travelling faster than light in vacuum. In this paper, an extended relativity theory is proposed. We think all particles can be divided into three kinds: The first kind of particle is its velocity in the range of $0\leq v < c$, e.g. electron, atom, molecule and so on ($c$ is light velocity, i.e., the limit velocity of the first kind of particle). The second kind of particle is its velocity in the range of $0\leq v < c_{m1}$, e.g. photon ($c_{m1}$ is the limit velocity of the second kind of particle). The third kind of particle is i…
The Poincaré relativity principle has been tested at low energy with great accuracy, but its extrapolation to very high-energy phenomena is much less well established. Lorentz symmetry can be broken at Planck scale due to the renormalization of gravity or to some deeper structure of matter: we expect such a breaking to be a very high energy and very short distance phenomenon. If textbook special relativity is only an approximate property of the equations describing a sector of matter above some critical distance scale, an absolute local frame (the "vacuum rest frame", VRF) can possibly be foun…
In this paper the fields generated by an electric dipole and a gravitational quadrapole are shown to propagate superluminally in the nearfield of the source and reduce to the speed of light as the fields propagate into the farfield. A theoretical derivation of the generated fields using Maxwell's equations is presented followed by a theoretical analysis of the phase and group speed of the propagating fields. This theoretical prediction is then verified by a numerical simulation which demonstrates the superluminal propagation of modulated signals in the nearfield of their sources. An experiment…
Some experiments, performed at Berkeley, Cologne, Florence, Vienna, Orsay, Rennes, etc., led to the claim that something seems to travel with a group velocity larger than the speed c of light in vacuum. Various other experimental results seem to point in the same direction: For instance, localized wavelet- type solutions to Maxwell equations have been found, both theoretically and experimentally, that travel with superluminal speed. [Even muonic and electronic neutrinos [it has been proposed] might be "tachyons", since their square mass appears to be negative]. With regard to the first-mention…
Theoretical and numerical wave propagation analysis of an oscillating electric dipole is presented. The results show that upon creation at the source, both the longitudinal electric and transverse magnetic fields propagate superluminally and reduce to the speed of light as they propagate about one wavelength from the source. In contrast, the transverse electric field is shown to be created about 1/4 wavelength outside the source and launches superluminal fields both towards and away from the source which reduce to the speed of light as the field propagates about one wavelength from the source.…
It is shown that a generalized special theory of relativity (GSTR) with an arbitrary limiting velocity of a particle different or equal to the speed of light in vacuum can be constructed from the canonical equation of the 4-dimensional hyperboloid of revolution. In particular, when the limiting velocity equals the speed of light, the special theory of relativity (STR), which corresponds to the equation of the equilateral hyperboloid of revolution, is recovered. The generalized Lorentz transformations for any values of the speed limit for both the time-like and the spice-like regions in the coo…
Lorentz symmetry has been tested at low energy with great accuracy, but its extrapolation to very high-energy phenomena is much less well established. We expect a possible breaking of Lorentz symmetry to be a very high energy and very short distance phenomenon, compatible with existing data. If textbook special relativity is only an approximate property of the equations describing a sector of matter above some critical distance scale, superluminal sectors of matter may exist related to new degrees of freedom not yet discovered experimentally. The new superluminal particles ("superbradyons") wo…
It is proved that local Lorentz transformations for different systems cannot derive varying speed of light. Based on the special relativity principle, an invariant speed is necessarily obtained. Therefore, the exact basic principles of the special relativity should be redefined as: I. The special relativity principle, which derives necessarily an invariant speed. II. Suppose that the invariant speed in the theory is the speed of light in the vacuum c. If the second principle does not hold, for example, the superluminal motions exist, the theory will be still the extensive special relativity, i…
In a previous paper of ours [Phys. Rev. E64 (2001) 066603, e-print physics/0001039] we have shown localized (non-evanescent) solutions to Maxwell equations to exist, which propagate without distortion with Superluminal speed along normal-sized waveguides, and consist in trains of "X-shaped" beams. Those solutions possessed therefore infinite energy. In this note we show how to obtain, by contrast, finite-energy solutions, with the same localization and Superluminality properties. [PACS nos.: 41.20.Jb; 03.50.De; 03.30.+p; 84.40.Az; 42.82.Et. Keywords: Wave-guides; Localized solutions to Maxwell…
Transformation equations for the kinetic energy of the same bullet in Galileo's and Einstein's special relativity are derived. The special relativity result is extended to the case of a photon.
An orbiting `photon clock' is proposed to test directly the relativity of simultaneity of special relativity. This is done by comparison of the arrival times at a ground station of three microwave signals transmitted by two satellites following the same low Earth orbit.
Different formulations of special relativity are theoretically discussed. First an invariant formulation, i.e., the ''true transformations (TT) relativity,'' is exposed. There a physical quantity is represented by a true tensor which comprises both components and a basis. Also the usual covariant formulation and the ''apparent transformations (AT) relativity'' are considered. It is shown that all the experiments are in agreement with the ''TT relativity'' but not always with the ''AT relativity.''
A new approach to special relativity is presented which introduces coordinate systems with imaginary time axes, observation systems, and coordinate bases.
We present an introduction to special relativity kinematics stressing the part played by clocks synchronized following a procedure proposed by Einstein.
The most general form of transformations of spacetime coordinates in Special Theory of Relativity based solely on physical assumptions are described. Only the linearity of spacetime transformations and the constancy of the speed of light are used as assumptions. The application to tachyonic motion is indicated.
