 |
1997-98
NEW MEXICO
HIGH SCHOOL
SUPERCOMPUTING
CHALLENGE
Interim Report |
The original project presented in the abstract discussed only
tachyons, or theoretical particles which move faster than the speed of
light. However, this topic reflects only a small parcel of the current
project.. The current project is based on relativity, but does include
discussion of tachyons and the reasons why such particles are theoretical.
The project now goes much further into the discussion of superluminal
travel, or travel faster than light, and whether or not such travel is
possible. The basis of the presentation is relativity and how travel near
the speed of light distorts the relative size and mass of the object
traveling at such speeds. Since the initial project entailed a simulation
of theoretical particles, one would have to predict the position,
velocity, mass, and other such characteristics as a function and its
derivatives based on trends in existing tachyon data. Because there is no
proof that tachyons exist, there is obviously no data to derive such
functions from. Another option for presenting such a simulation is by
creating functions based on the theoretical characteristics of the
particles. However, based on Einstein's theories of energy and mass, and
Lorentz's theories of velocity, mass, and size, the constant c presents a
limit of the velocity of all moving objects. Hence, moving at the speed of
light would require an infinite amount of energy, producing an infinite
mass of the moving object, and the size of the object would be zero. In
application of the functions for velocity, mass, size, and energy, one
cannot obtain real values for these characteristics when the only
substitutions are infinite or zero. In much simpler terms, the particles'
size would be zero or negative, which violates real time and space order,
and the mass would be infinite. Hence, the only way to simulate tachyons
would be to actually create them. However, in order to accelerate an
object to the speed of light, one would have to apply infinite energy.
Because Tachyons, by definition, move faster than the speed of light, one
would have to apply more than infinite energy. Group 078 has yet to find a
source which can supply a sum of energy greater than infinity.
Despite the theoretical contradictions of the initial topic, the
project has not come to a screeching halt just yet. Mathematical models of
these theories have been created and can be used to demonstrate the
distortions of one-, two-, and three dimensional objects with respect to
velocity. The concepts will demonstrate how the objects shrink in size and
increase in mass as the velocity nears the speed of light. Such
demonstrations will contribute to the discussion of the possibility of
superluminal travel. The application of computers in the project will be
through writing a C++ program which will draw the objects on the screen.
Hence, a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object and
its distortion will be used to better visualize the theoretical
application of the concepts of relativity. The graphs will be evaluated
and explained at various intantaneous velocities, and a code is currently
in the works to animate the representation to introduce a fourth
dimension- time.
Team Members:
Sponsoring Teacher(s):
Project Advisor(s):
New Mexico High School Supercomputing Challenge