Superluminal particle accelerator?

[3blake7]

I was wondering if there is anything in particle or theoretical physics that explicitly says that it's impossible for a particle to travel faster than the speed of light. Is it still in the realm of possibility?

 

What if particles had no other option other than to go faster than the speed of light? Could a warp bubble form around it, until some superluminal friction pushed it back below the speed of light? Perhaps the excess energy would be displaced in the form of an increased amplitude gravitational wave?

 

This is for a science fiction universe but I promised myself I would at least keep it plausible.

 

I was hoping to use this concept for a propellantless propulsion drive. Basically a particle accelerator that pushed particles faster than the speed of light, then pushes more particles, which push on those particles, and off space-time itself.

Edited July 1, 2015 by 3blake7

[John Cuthber]

Tachyons

[swansont]

What if particles had no other option other than to go faster than the speed of light? Could a warp bubble form around it, until some superluminal friction pushed it back below the speed of light? Perhaps the excess energy would be displaced in the form of an increased amplitude gravitational wave?

 

This is for a science fiction universe but I promised myself I would at least keep it plausible.

 

I was hoping to use this concept for a propellantless propulsion drive. Basically a particle accelerator that pushed particles faster than the speed of light, then pushes more particles, which push on those particles, and off space-time itself.

 

IIRC as tachyons lose energy they speed up, rather than slow down.

 

AFAIK there is no physics that allows one to jump across the barrier of traveling above/below c. If a superluminal particle existed, it would remain superluminal.

[3blake7]

Okay. I will just stick with my particle accelerator thrusters, with 99.9% of lightspeed exhaust velocities. It's a capable propulsion engine.

Edited July 1, 2015 by 3blake7

[ajb]

If a superluminal particle existed, it would remain superluminal.

Or decay into standard particles very quickly, which is what we think would happen in quantum field theory.

[swansont]

Or decay into standard particles very quickly, which is what we think would happen in quantum field theory.

 

Yes. I should say: as long as this hypothetical superluminal particle existed, it would remain superluminal