On the Possibility and Consequences of Negative Mass

Abstract

We investigate the possibility and consequences of the existence of particles having negative relativistic masses, and show that their existence implies the existence of faster- than-light particles (tachyons). Our proof requires only two postulates concerning such particles: that it is possible for particles of any (positive, negative or zero) relativistic mass to collide inelastically with 'normal' (i.e. positive relativistic mass) particles, and that four-momentum is conserved in such collisions.