A
tachyon /ˈtæki.ɒn
/ or
tachyonic particle is a hypothetical
particle that always moves
faster than light. The word comes from the
Greek:
ταχύς or
tachys, meaning "swift, quick, fast, rapid", and was coined by
Gerald Feinberg.
[1] Most physicists think that faster-than-light particles cannot exist because they are not consistent with the known laws of physics.
[2][3] If such particles did exist, they could be used to build a
tachyonic antitelephone and send signals faster than light, which (according to
special relativity) would lead to violations of
causality.
[3] Potentially consistent theories that allow faster-than-light particles include those that break
Lorentz invariance, the symmetry underlying special relativity, so that the speed of light is not a barrier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon
Topic: Tachyon, hypothetical faster-than-light particles. (Read 1388 times)