Observation of image pair creation and annihilation from superluminal scattering sources

Clerici, Matteo; Spalding, Gabriel C.; Warburton, R. J.; Lyons, Ashley; Aniculaesei, Constantin; Richards, Joseph M.; Leach, Jonathan; Henderson, Robert K.; Faccio, Daniele

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501691

Cited by 25 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Furthermore, the set of photons cutting the paper towards the origin have a shorter travel time (t traverse is lesser) -from laser to paper -than the other set of photons cutting toward infinity. This type of superluminal pair splitting has been verified experimentally in another context 11 .…”

Section: B Starting Orientation: Beam Parallel To the Papersupporting

confidence: 60%

Analyses of scissors cutting paper at superluminal speeds

Kaushal

Nemiroff

2019

Phys. Educ.

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A popular physics legend holds that scissors can cut paper with a speed faster than light. Here this counter-intuitive myth is investigated theoretically using four simple examples of scissors. For simplicity, all cases will involve a static lower scissors blade that remains horizontal just under the paper. In the first case, the upper blade will be considered perfectly rigid as it rotates around and through the paper, while in the second case, a rigid upper blade will drop down to cut the paper like a guillotine. In the third case, the paper is cut with a laser rotating with a constant angular speed that is pointed initially perpendicular to the paper at the closest point, while in the fourth case, the uniformly rotating laser is pointed initially parallel to the paper. Although details can be surprising and occasionally complex, all cases allow sections of the paper to be cut faster than light without violating special relativity. Therefore, the popular legend is confirmed, in theory, to be true.

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Section: B Starting Orientation: Beam Parallel To the Papersupporting

confidence: 60%

Analyses of scissors cutting paper at superluminal speeds

Kaushal

Nemiroff

2019

Phys. Educ.

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“…Although an example of RID has been recovered in the laboratory (Clerici et al 2016), its occurrence has not been clearly isolated, as yet, elsewhere. Previously, though, papers about IACT imaging have briefly indicated that such an effect could occur.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Toward the Detection of Relativistic Image Doubling in Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

Nemiroff

Kaushal

2020

ApJ

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Cosmic gamma-ray photons incident on the upper atmosphere create air showers that move to the Earth's surface with superluminal speed, relative to the air. Even though many of these air showers remain superluminal all along their trajectories, the shower's velocity component toward a single Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) may drop from superluminal to subluminal. When this happens, an IACT that is able to resolve the air shower both in time and angle should be able to document an unusual optical effect known as relativistic image doubling (RID). The logic of RID is that the shower appears to precede its own Cherenkov radiation when its speed component toward the IACT is superluminal, but appears to trail its own Cherenkov radiation when its speed component toward the IACT is subluminal. The result is that the IACT will see the shower start not at the top of the atmosphere but in the middle -at the point along the shower's path where its radial velocity component drops to subluminal. Images of the shower would then be seen by the IACT to go both up and down simultaneously. A simple simulation demonstrating this effect is presented. Clear identification of RID would confirm in the atmosphere a novel optical imaging effect caused not by lenses but solely by relativistic kinematics, and may aid in the accuracy of path and speed reconstructions of the relativistic air shower.

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“…In physical problems of this nature, due to the difficulty (or impossibility) of observing the phenomenon itself, the use of simulations might be interesting, both in classical and quantum setups. Using classical means, processes such as superluminal motion [7] or the formation of an event horizon in a white hole [8] can be simulated. The use of quantum simulators has recently brought results in physical processes of difficult or dubious observation, such as the simulation of a traversable wormhole [9], space-times in which superluminal trips are allowed and even CTCs [10], Hawking radiation [11], magnetic monopoles [12] or tachyonic particles [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Closed timelike curves and chronology protection in quantum and classical simulators

Martín-Vázquez¹,

Sabín²

2020

Class. Quantum Grav.

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In principe, General Relativity seems to allow the existence of closed timelike curves (CTC). However, when quantum effects are considered, it is likely that their existence is prevented by some kind of chronological protection mechanism, as Hawking conjectured. Confirming or refuting the conjecture would require a full quantum theory of gravity. Meanwhile, the use of simulations could shed some light on this issue. We propose simulations of CTCs in a quantum system as well as in a classical one. In the quantum simulation, some restrictions appear that are not present in the classical setup, which could be interpreted as an analogue of a chronology protection mechanism.

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Observation of image pair creation and annihilation from superluminal scattering sources

Abstract: Researchers experimentally investigate the superluminal kinematics of scattering light sources through ultrafast time-resolved imaging.

Cited by 25 publications

References 32 publications

Analyses of scissors cutting paper at superluminal speeds

Analyses of scissors cutting paper at superluminal speeds

Toward the Detection of Relativistic Image Doubling in Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

Closed timelike curves and chronology protection in quantum and classical simulators

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