A new quantum - relativistic model of tachyons

Abstract

Abstract The possible existence of tachyons, namely hypothetical particles always moving faster than light in vacuum, is still controversial due to the common belief they would violate the principle of macroscopic causality, despite their existence is not forbidden, in principle, by the Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. Indeed, the main difficulties with tachyons are rather related to other two questions: their expected imaginary rest mass and the lack of a physical mechanism able to explain their existence especially from the standpoint of quantum theory. In this paper we discuss a novel physical mechanism, based on QED coherence in matter and on a reformulation of Special Theory of Relativity in the space-like region, able to explain a possible origin of tachyons as well as their real-value rest mass, ultimately related to the coherent dynamics of quantum vacuum.