Finding faster-than-light particles by weighing them Ehrlichs new claim of faster-than-light neutrinos is based on a much more sensitive method than measuring their speed, namely by finding their mass. The result relies on tachyons having an imaginary mass, or a negative mass squared. Imaginary mass particles have the weird property that they speed up as they lose energy – the value of their imaginary mass being defined by the rate at which this occurs. According to Ehrlich, the magnitude of the neutrinos imaginary mass is 0.33 electronvolts, or 2/3 of a millionth that of an electron. He deduces this value by showing that six different observations from cosmic rays, cosmology, and particle physics all yield this same value within their margin of error. One observation, for example, involves the tiny variations in cosmic background radiation left over from the big bang, while another involves the shape of the cosmic ray spectrum.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:33:53 +0000
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