A relativistic enthalpy-momentum wave equation for bosons and fermions moving in a dynamic fluid: A unified treatment for bradyons and tachyons

The possible existence of superluminal phenomena associated with photons, e lectromagnetic interactions, and neutrinos is a matter of great current int erest. The theoretical analysis of such processes typically uses as a start ing point the momentum-energy relativistic equation that applies to noninte racting particles. However, actual propagation occurs in material media, or -in the case of stellar neutrinos-in a possibly dynamic vacuum. The more re alistic situation of propagation of particles that exchange energy with the surrounding medium is explored in this paper. Based on some results of Tolman's, a Lorentz-invariant enthalpy-momentum sc alar wave equation (EMWE) is formulated and generic solutions obtained, Two new nondispersive terms are reported. Superluminal speeds may appear when the particle transfers energy to the surroundings, thus avoiding the concep t of negative rest mass. The standard Schrodinger-Klein-Gordon equation res ults as a particular case of the EMWE. An enthalpic Dirac-like equation app licable to both fermions and bosons is presented, which is equivalent to a matrix EMWE, i.e., to a set of n = 2(2j + 1) scalar EMWEs, j being the part icle's spin. The concept of an enthalpic wave-packet containing two nondisp ersive terms is introduced.