The fastest object in the Universe (probably)
What is the fastest moving thing in the universe, other
than light or other types of electromagnetic radiation? I've always
supposed that it would be the surface of some fast spinning Quasar, but I'm not
sure. Richard, Dayton, Ohio
Pulsars are certainly the fastest spinning star. Some spin so fast that a
spot on their equator goes about 50 000 km/s, which is about 20% of light speed.
Probably the fastest moving thing known in the Universe is a
neutrino (a fundamental particle akin to an electron). We're not sure
a neutrino has mass, but recent observations of neutrinos from Supernova 1987A
indicate they do. Likewise, new findings from the Super-Kamiokande
neutrino detector in Japan also argue the neutrino's mass is non-zero.
Based on the supernova observations, we can estimate a neutrino's speed. Ten
neutrinos arrived within 15 seconds of each other after traveling 180,000 light
years, and they differed by a up to factor of three in energy. This limits the
neutrino rest mass energy to less than about 30 eV, which means their rest speed
is about 99.999999999999 percent of light speed. No object can achieve
light speed, but a neutrino's rest speed is close.
Further Reading:
Does a neutrino have mass? HyperPhysics
Neutrino physics, Science @ Berkeley Labs
(Answered May 19, 2008)
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