dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaLaunching of Non-Dispersive Superluminal Beams
| Authors | V. S. Barashenkov, W. A. Rodrigues Jr |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/9710025 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9710025 |
Abstract
In this paper we analyze the physical meaning of sub- and superluminal soliton-like solutions (as the X-waves) of the relativistic wave equations and of some non-trivial solutions of the free Schr\"odinger equation for which the concepts of phase and group velocities have a different meaning than in the case of plane wave solutions. If we accept the strict validity of the principle of relativity, such solutions describe objects of two essentially different natures: carrying energy wave packets and inertia-free properly phase vibrations. Speeds of the first-type objects can exceed the plane wave velocity $c_*$ only inside media and are always less than the vacuum light speed $c$. Particularly, very fast sound pulses with speeds $c_* < v < c$ have already been launched. The second-type objects are incapable of carrying energy and information but have superluminal speed. If we admit the possibility of a breakdown of Lorentz invariance, pulses described, for example, by superluminal solutions of the Maxwell equations can be generated. Only experiment will give the final answer.
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"abstract": "In this paper we analyze the physical meaning of sub- and superluminal\nsoliton-like solutions (as the X-waves) of the relativistic wave equations and\nof some non-trivial solutions of the free Schr\\\"odinger equation for which the\nconcepts of phase and group velocities have a different meaning than in the\ncase of plane wave solutions. If we accept the strict validity of the principle\nof relativity, such solutions describe objects of two essentially different\nnatures: carrying energy wave packets and inertia-free properly phase\nvibrations. Speeds of the first-type objects can exceed the plane wave velocity\n$c_*$ only inside media and are always less than the vacuum light speed $c$.\nParticularly, very fast sound pulses with speeds $c_* \u003c v \u003c c$ have already\nbeen launched. The second-type objects are incapable of carrying energy and\ninformation but have superluminal speed. If we admit the possibility of a\nbreakdown of Lorentz invariance, pulses described, for example, by superluminal\nsolutions of the Maxwell equations can be generated. Only experiment will give\nthe final answer.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/9710025",
"authors": [
"V. S. Barashenkov",
"W. A. Rodrigues Jr"
],
"categories": [
"physics.class-ph"
],
"title": "Launching of Non-Dispersive Superluminal Beams",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9710025"
},
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