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Hi Philip,
Sorry for bombarding you with all those questions in one email. Here's two that I would appreciate your thoughts on:
- at what speed do tachyons travel?
-can we collide anything with photons in an accelerator, and if so, what would be the result?
Thanks again,
- Anthony
Hello,
In answer to your questions:
1) The prcise speed at which tachyons travel isn't known, only that their velocity v > c. The reason is one must solve specific equations (e.g. Klein-Gordon) for initial conditions (that need to be assigned ). You can read much more about this here:
http://www.phys.ncku.edu.tw/mirrors/physicsfaq/ParticleAndNuclear/tachyons.html
2) Yes, photons can be "collided" with protons for example, as noted in this paper:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/7w57211857042402/
Be aware, however, we aren't talking about collisions in the everyday sense, say like two billiard balls, but more of wavefronts so the more correct term is "scattering". As noted in the paper cited, it appears that pions (pi mesons) can emerge as a result of such interactions.
Hope this sheds some light!
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Philip A. Stahl
Expertise
I specialize in stellar and solar astrophysics. Can answer any questions pertaining to these areas, the spectroscopic analysis of stars – as well as the magneto-hydrodynamics of sunspots and solar flares. Sorry – No homework problems done or research projects! I will provide hints on solutions.
Experience
Have published papers on the relationship between sunspot morphology and solar flares; discovery of SID flares related to this, constructed computerized stellar models; MHD research.
Organizations
American Astronomical Society (Solar physics and Dynamical astronomy divisions), American Geophysical Union, American Mathematical Society, Intertel.
Publications
Solar Physics, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Journal of the Barbados Astronomical Society, Meudon Solar Flare Proceedings (Meudon, France). Books: 'Selected Analyses in Solar Flare Plasma Dynamics', 'Physics Notes for Advanced Level'.
Education/Credentials
B.A. degree in Astronomy; M.Phil. degree in Physics - specializing in solar physics.
Awards and Honors
Postgraduate research award- Barbados government; Studentship Award in Solar Physics - American Astronomical Society
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