We discuss the possible cosmological implications of a class of superluminal
particles, in a scenario where: a) Lorentz invariance is only an approximate
property of the equations of a sector of matter; b) several critical speeds of
matter in vacuum exist. The Big Bang scenario and the evolution of the very
early universe, as well as large scale structure, can be strongly influenced by
the new particles.Comment: 5 pages, to be published in the Proceedings of the Fourth
  International Workshop on Theoretical and Phenomenological Aspects of
  Underground Physics, Toledo (Spain) September 17-21 199

Gonzalez-Mestres

L. Gonzalez-Mestres

English

arXiv

Gonzalez-Mestres, L.

Hal-Diderot

Cosmological implications of a possible class of particles able to travel faster than light

The apparent Lorentz invariance of the laws of physics does not imply that space-time is indeed minkowskian. Matter made of solutions of Lorentz-invariant equations would feel a relativistic space-time even if the actual space-time had a quite di#erent geometry (f.i. a galilean space-time). A typical example is provided by sine-Gordon solitons in a galilean world. A &quot;sub-world&quot; restricted to such solitons would be &quot;relativistic&quot;, with the critical speed of solitons playing the role of the speed of light. Only the study of the deep structure of matter will unravel the actual geometry of space and time, which we expect to be scaledependent and determined by the properties of matter itself. If Lorentz invariance is only an approximate property of equations describing a sector of matter at a given scale, an absolute frame (the &quot;vacuum rest frame&quot;) may exist without contradicting the minkowskian structure of the space-time felt by ordinary particles. But  c , the speed of light, will not ne..

L. Gonzalez-mestres

CiteSeerX

Physical And Cosmological Implications Of A Possible Class Of Particles Able To Travel Faster Than Light

2 pages, contribution to TAUP 95 , abridged version submitted before the conference. e-mail: gonzalez@lapphp.in2p3.frSuperluminal particles are not excluded by particle physics. The apparent Lorentz invariance of the laws of physics does not imply that space-time is indeed minkowskian. Matter made of solutions of Lorentz-invariant equations would feel a relativistic space-time even if the actual space-time had a quite different geometry (f.i. a galilean space-time). If Lorentz invariance is only a property of equations describing a sector of matter at a given scale, an absolute frame (the "vacuum rest frame") may exist without contradicting the minkowskian structure felt by ordinary particles. Then c , the speed of light, will not necessarily be the only critical speed in vacuum and superluminal sectors of matter may equally exist feeling space-times with critical speeds larger than c . We present a discussion of possible cosmological implications of such a scenario, assuming that the superluminal sectors couple weakly to ordinary matter. The universality of the equivalence between inertial and gravitational mass will be lost. The Big Bang scenario will undergo important modifications, and the evolution of the Universe may be strongly influenced by superluminal particles

HAL Université de Savoie

Cosmological Implications of a Possible Class of Particles Able to Travel Faster than Light (abridged version)

Crossref

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.339.5329

Cosmological Implications of a Possible Class of Particles Able to Travel Faster than Light

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Hal-Diderot

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HAL Université de Savoie

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HAL Université de Savoie