Superluminal travel requires negative energies

被引:94
作者
Olum, KD [1 ]
机构
[1] Tufts Univ, Dept Phys & Astron, Inst Cosmol, Medford, MA 02155 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.3567
中图分类号
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号
0702 ;
摘要
I investigate the relationship between faster-than-light travel and weak-energy-condition violation, i.e., negative energy densities. In a general spacetime it is difficult to define faster-than-light travel, and I give an example of a metric which appears to allow superluminal travel, but in fact is just flat space. To avoid such difficulties, I propose a definition of superluminal travel which requires that the path to be traveled reach a destination surface at an earlier time than any neighboring path. With this definition (and assuming the generic condition) I prove that superluminal travel requires weak-energy-condition violation, [S0031-9007(98)06583-1].
引用
收藏
页码:3567 / 3570
页数:4
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