272 pages 9x6 inches
May 2003  Hardcover
ISBN 1-58949-037-1
US$78

 
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Any phenomenon that involves faster than light speeds is termed a superluminal phenomenon. Electromagnetic wave propagation in the material media having anomalous dispersion is the oldest example that has been revived in the recent years. Typical wave solutions like Bessel beams have been shown to possess superluminal speeds, and evanescent modes are also thought to belong to this class of waves. Hypothetical particles proposed in 1960s named as tachyons travel faster than light. Then there are astrophysical objects namely the quasars that also have apparent superluminal speeds. In quantum mechanics, typical quantum correlations in the classic EPR (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen) settings have been the subject of experimental investigations. For the observed nonlocality for spacelike distant correlations there exists the intriguing possibility of superluminal signals. Recent interest in quantum information science has made this subject very crucial and important. And finally there are cosmological models in which the velocity of light was much greater in the early universe than its present value.

Resurgence of interests in superluminal phenomena during last decade, its acceptance in the mainstream science establishment, and mystical presentations at popular level led to the project of this monograph. A comprehensive review, balanced critique with open mind, and delineation of deep physical insights constitute the objective of this monograph. This is a unique endeavor encompassing whole spectrum of the superluminal phenomena at one place.

Due to the controversial nature of the subject some basic concepts in relativity and quantum theory are reviewed, and a brief account of the Sommerfeld-Brillouin theory of wave propagation is given. Elements of information theory in Ch.6 and the standard model of cosmology in Ch.8 would facilitate the reader to comprehend the discussion on quantum teleportation and variable speed of light cosmology respectively. Extensive and up-to-date list of key references should enable the reader to pursue the subject further. Hopefully the style of the presentation would stimulate the reader to think afresh in this exciting field.
 
Comments by the Readers:

... This is a serious book on an exciting subject. The conservative conclusion of the author as to the reality of the superluminal effects confirms to me that the so-much expected "new physics" is more likely to come from the theory of gravitation.   ---  Mayeul Arminjon (CNRS, France)

 


Preface
1. Introduction
1.1 Historical note
1.2 Variability of natural constants
1.3 Plan of the book

2. Fundamental concepts
2.1 Action at a distance, aether, and fields
2.2 Time, velocity of light and special theory of relativity
2.3 Aspects of general relativity
2.4 Photon hypothesis
2.5 Wave velocity a la Sommerfeld-Brillouin

3. Superluminal propagation of EM Waves
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Preliminaries of EM waves
3.3 Advances in S-B theory
3.4 Superluminal propagation in material media
3.5 Superluminal propagation in vacuum
3.6 Evanescent waves
3.7 Discussion and conclusion

4. Tachyons
4.1 Tachyon hypothesis and superluminal phenomena
4.2 Elaborations and extensions
4.3 Experimental searches
4.4 Tachyonic effects in gravity and superstrings

5. Quantum nonlocality
5.1 Interpretations of quantum mechanics
5.2 EPR Arguments
5.3 Tests of Bell inequality
5.4 Relativistic EPR settings
5.5 Nonlocality and superluminal signals 		6. Quantum information science
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Elements of information theory
6.3 Aspects of quantum information science
6.4 Teleportation and superluminality

7. Astrophysical observations
7.1 Quasar redshifts
7.2 Aspects of VLBI
7.3 Superluminal speeds
7.4 Physical interpretations

8. Cosmology
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Standard model
8.3 Beyond the SM
8.4 Alternatives
8.5 Variable speed of light cosmological models

9. Epilogue
9.1 An overview
9.2 Fundamental theory and scientific revolution
9.3 Revisiting the space-time interaction hypothesis
9.4 Retrospection

Appendices
A1 Stationary phase and saddle point methods
A2 Godel solution
A3 New way to derive Schwarszchild metric


 

Suresh C Tiwari was born on August 24, 1952 in a village Nimoda of Rajasthan. He was awarded PhD from Rajasthan University, Jaipur in 1980 for his research work on solid state microwave devices. He taught electronics engineering at Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University for a brief period in 1980s. He has published 35 papers in international journals. His investigations in the foundations of electromagnetic theory led to a new model of electron culminating into the publication of a monograph in 1997. He has given deep thought into the nature of time in physics, and in 1980 at the Einstein Centenary Symposium he proposed time variable velocity of light. His PIRT London (1992) paper has been published in selected papers in Recent Advances in Relativity (Hadronic Press 2000). His proposal that angular momentum of light is exchanged in geometrical phase in optics has found support in theoretical work in the literature though experimental verification is awaited. He has also been fascinated by Weyl geometry, and proposed Weyl-Kahler space incorporating vector length holonomy in complex spaces. He firmly believes that the goal of science is search of truth, and he is trying to establish Institute of Natural Philosophy.