Tachyons and Quantum Statistics

Abstract

A number of years ago, Bohm postulated the existence of a quantum potential in order to create a completely causal description of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. It is shown that this quantum potential must be a tachyon field. An experimental test of the identification of tachyons with Bohm's quantum potential is described. It is shown that though in the above experiment spacelike intervals are investigated, the information arrives after timelike intervals. The experiment thus provides an example where tachyons can affect a measured quantity though they cannot be used to violate causality.