|Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 17:43:58
Apparently it can be either wireless or wire-based. He isn't releasing very many details on his system. But it does work. Understand, it's a laboratory prototype experiment, not a fully developed and ready-to-go-into-production system.
Actually, the basis for superluminal communication has been in electrodynamics and in physics for some time. As an example from normal classical electrodynamics, the ordinary scalar potential in the Coulomb gauge moves at instantaneous velocity, though supposedly only in the "near fields". See J.D. Jackson, Classical Electrodynamics, Second Edition, Wiley, 1975, p. 222-223 for a discussion of this "peculiarity". Now reflect for a moment as to what can conceivably constitute a "near field" to something moving at infinite velocity. In fact, the concept of "energy moving through a singly connected space" breaks down when the velocity is infinite. Instead, one should think in terms of the "energy existing in a multiply-connected space". Let me give you a simple analogy.
Suppose you have a flat piece of paper (thought experiment, so it's a perfect plane). Put a point there on that plane. Now put another point on the first one, so the two superpose. And another. And another. Until you have 1,000 points there at that "point", all superposed.
Now suppose that you can magically insert 1 joule of energy into one of those points that you choose. Well, the same joule now appears in each and every other point simultaneously. But each joule superposed with each other, so the external observer still sees only "one joule at one point" in that plane. That is how it will appear in a singly-connected space (where each "point" is distinct from every other "separated point" and does not share anything directly and instantly between points.
However, now suppose that these 1,000 points are widely separated in normal 3-space, as seen by the observer (as seen by us). The points may be scattered throughout the universe, without limit. At very great distances apart, etc. But meanwhile, suppose these points are ALSO in a multiply-connected space. In other words, in that "strange realm" the 1,000 points are all superposed on one another, in something like that "plane" with 1,000 points superposed as one.
In 3-space, suppose the observer (us) now inserts one watt into one of those 1,000 points that happens to be nearby. Zounds! Instantly and simultaneously, one watt appears (to us) in each and every other one of those widely separated points, perhaps some of them out past the solar system and others beyond the nearest star.
So we input one watt, and we "output" (as viewed to a singly-connected observer) 1,000 watts.
That's the way a quantum potential works, and that is the way a group of objects connected via a multiply connected spacetime would work. Little wonder that now some five nations of the world have developed and deployed quantum potential weapons. Presently they are still somewhat limited in power, but as with anything, they develop better and better as time passes. One of these days, a single 100 kiloton nuclear blast at one of the "multiply-connected points" will be utilizable, and such a weapon will be able to utterly destroy, say, 1,000 widely separated targets with a single "shot". Superluminal communication eventually leads to the quantum potential in the limit, which then leads to QP weaponry. But enough of superweapons; back to superluminal communication.
It is important to note that --- as Jackson states --- transverse radiation fields are given by the vector potential alone.
Quoting (from the cited pages) from Jackson: "…we note a peculiarity of the Coulomb gauge. It is well known that electromagnetic disturbances propagate with finite speed. Yet (6.45) indicates that the scalar potential 'propagates' instantaneously everywhere in space. The vector potential, on the other hand, satisfies the wave equation (6.52), with its implied finite speed of propagation c. At first glance it is puzzling to see how this obviously unphysical behavior is avoided. A preliminary remark is that it is the fields, not the potentials, that concern us. A further observation is that the transverse current (6.50) extends over all space, even if J is localized."
Jackson then refers to O.L. Brill and B. Goodman, Am. J. Phys., Vol. 35, 1967, p. 832 for a detailed discussion of causality in the Coulomb gauge.
So in a nutshell there you have it. We are left somewhat hanging with the fact that the scalar potential can and does move at instant velocity. And that EM waves moving faster than the speed of light are indeed possible.
When we turn to David Bohm's hidden variable interpretation of quantum mechanics, there we find a scalar potential -- called the quantum potential -- that does indeed appear instantaneously everywhere it shall have a value. Bohm's interpretation predicts all the correct results, and in my view is highly superior to the long-standard Bohr interpretation. There are at least some 8 major interpretations of quantum mechanics; the final word is not in yet! I'm partial to the Bohm theory, because it's equally valid experimentally as the standard Bohr interpretation, and it goes much further because it allows quantum reality to be directly engineered, including at a distance, if one can learn to work with hidden variables. It's also the basis for those quantum potential weapons developed by five nations (none of which is the U.S.).
There are gobs of hidden variables, easily pointed out! If we take Whittaker's 1903 and 1904 papers (see my citations elsewhere on Cheniere.com), then all EM fields, waves, and potentials already have an internal, far more fundamental longitudinal wave electrodynamics that comprises and makes those fields, waves, and potentials. Since one can make longitudinal EM waves, then it means that one can "put together" or engineer all the presently utilized EM fields, waves, and potentials (and their energy) from a far more fundamental EM -- and the engineering can be done at a distance also.
To solve the source charge problem, we slightly corrected Whittaker's interpretation of his 1903 paper. With that correction, one involves both longitudinal EM waves in 3-space and along the time-axis as well. We also uncovered very powerful support for that reinterpretation in quantum field theory (Mandl and Shaw, Quantum Field Theory, Wiley, 1984, Chapter 5). In that case, one has the gist of my original use of scalar interferometry as the basis of demonstrated Russian weapons tests.
For proof of the scalar interferometer's ability to do that, see M. W. Evans, P.K. Anastasovski, T.E. Bearden et al., "On Whittaker's Representation of the Electromagnetic Entity in Vacuo, Part V: The Production of Transverse Fields and Energy by Scalar Interferometry," Journal of New Energy, 4(3), Special Issue, Winter 1999, p. 76-78.
For experimental proof that EM signals can indeed be seen by the observer to move much faster than the speed of light, see Aichmann and Nimtz. They and their co-workers at the University of Cologne have transmitted 8.7 GHz microwaves (free space wavelength 3.4 cm) traveling in a rectangular wave guide that contains a "barrier" section of reduced dimensions. They have transmitted Mozart's 40th Symphony as frequency modulated microwaves through a barrier wave guide at an FTL group velocity of 4.7 c, receiving audibly recognizable music from the microwave photons that survived their barrier passage. The transit time through the barrier was about 81 picoseconds and was observed to be constant for barriers with widths varying from 4.0 cm to 11.4 cm.
Other such superluminal experiments have been replicated by other scientists such as Chiao. We have multiple experimental validations that superluminal communication is indeed possible. How we choose to think about it and model it is something else; the effect has been clearly established experimentally.
For some very interesting theory of pure longitudinal EM waves and adulterated longitudinal EM waves (adulterated means with some transverse residue remaining), one turns to the theory of undistorted progressive waves. E.g., see W. A. Rodrigues Jr. and J.-Y. Lu, “On the existence of undistorted progressive waves (UPWs) of arbitrary speeds 0 £ v <¥ in nature,” Foundations of Physics, 27(3), 1997, p. 435-508; also W. A. Rodrigues Jr. and J. Vaz Jr., “Subluminal and Superluminal Solutions in Vacuum of the Maxwell Equations and the Massless Dirac Equation,” Advances in Applied Clifford Algebras, Vol. 7(S), 1997, p. 457-466.
Two other papers of interest are:
(1) Petar K. Anastasovski and David B. Hamilton, "The Superluminal Theory and Effects," in M. W. Evans (ed.), Modern Nonlinear Optics, Second Edition, 3 vols., Wiley, 2001; Vol. 3, p. 655-681.
(2) Fabio Cardone and Roberto Mignani, "Superluminal Effects and Tachyon Theory," in M. W. Evans (ed.), Modern Nonlinear Optics, Second Edition, 3 vols., Wiley, 2001; Vol. 3, p. 683-698. In the last years some experimental results in different branches of physics (astrophysics, high-energy physics, electromagnetic wave propagation) have provided significant evidence for phenomena involving faster-than-light (superluminal) speeds. The authors give a brief review of them, with special emphasis on the electromagnetic ones, and stress their relation with tachyon theory based on the generalization of special relativity to faster-than-light inertial frames.
There are quite a few other papers in the literature, dealing with superluminal propagation of EM waves, but these suffice to give the gist of it.
In addition, de Broglie waves always travel faster than the speed of light. Their effects can be detected by multiple detections rather than singular detection.
Another objection sometimes raised is that "only negative energy waves" can travel superluminally. The implicit assumption is that no one can make negative energy EM waves. Not true. Just create and launch EM waves with positrons instead of electrons. But use the real positrons --- Dirac sea holes in the vacuum. Don't use the "pseudo-positrons" that are the lattice holes in materials. And don't use "observed positrons" after the energy and time are both inverted, as well as the parity. The Dirac sea hole (in the vacuum, prior to its interaction and observation) is in fact a purely negative energy state and negative energy "critter". Oscillate those negative energy states directly, and that objection vanishes.
So the prevailing dogma that intelligent signals (without specification of kind) cannot be transmitted faster than light speed is already totally refuted, both experimentally and theoretically. Mozart's 40th symphony transmission and reception already proved that.
What are really needed are a National Science Foundation and National Academy of Sciences that surge forward and formulate funded research programs to push the frontiers of science along such superluminal communications lines.
We can and shall have practical superluminal communication systems whenever the U.S. scientific research community allows it and funds it. A small group is trying to move toward it, with meager funds. We ought to have a Manhattan Project on it, with the best scientific team the nation can muster.