Related papers: Common Misconceptions About Angular Momentum

It is shown that, contrary to what is normally expected, it is possible to have angular momentum effects on the geometry of space time at the laboratory scale, much bigger than the purely Newtonian effects. This is due to the fact that the…

In this letter, we review the well known ambiguity in defining angular momentum (and mass dipole) fluxes in general relativity and we reinterpret recent works that resolve the ambiguity by defining invariant charges. We resolve the…

Prior research has demonstrated how the realist perspectives of classical physics students can translate into specific beliefs about quantum phenomena when taking an introductory modern physics course. Student beliefs regarding the…

We study angular momentum of the electron stored in its electric and magnetic fields. We use for this purpose quantum electrodynamics in the covariant gauge. We show that a finite one-loop result for such angular momentum can be obtained…

Traditionally, the angular momentum of light is calculated for "bullet-like" electromagnetic wave packets, although in actual optical experiments "pencil-like" beams of light are more commonly used. The fact that a wave packet is bounded…

This paper outlines a deceptively complex problem in classical mechanics which the paper names the "Falling Astronaut Problem," and it explores a method for teachers to implement this problem in an undergraduate classroom. The paper…

This is a write-up of a talk for non-specialists on the treatment of angular momentum for radiating systems resolving the supertranslation problem.

The Stern-Gerlach experiment has played a central role in the discovery of spin angular momentum. It can also play a pivotal role in teaching the formalism of quantum mechanics using a concrete example involving a finite-dimensional Hilbert…

We discuss in detail the spatial distribution of angular momentum inside the nucleon. We show that the discrepancies between different definitions originate from terms that integrate to zero. Even though these terms can safely be dropped at…

We consider a cylindrical metallic magnet that is set into rotation about a horizontal axis by a falling mass. In such a system the magnetic field will cause a radial current which is non-solenoidal. This leads to charge accumulation and a…

Angular momentum has recently been defined as a surface integral involving an axial vector and a twist 1-form, which measures the twisting around of space-time due to a rotating mass. The axial vector is chosen to be a transverse,…

Angular momentum and torque are important principles for basic and applied physics on any spatial scales, for example, in elementary particles, cold gases, optical tweezers, quantum information technology, metamaterials, gyroscopes or…

The problem of light waves interaction with charged particles becomes more and more complex starting with the case of plane waves, where the analytical solution is well known, to more natural, though more complicated situations which…

We developed a survey to probe student understanding of quantum mechanics concepts at the beginning of graduate instruction. The survey was administered to 202 graduate students in physics enrolled in first-year quantum mechanics courses…

What are gravitational waves? How do they propagate? and what is their energy content? These questions are addressed in the first two chapters. In the third chapter the pseudo-Newtonian formalism and its extension is reviewed in general and…

We report on a large-scale study of student learning of quantum tunneling in 4 traditional and 4 transformed modern physics courses. In the transformed courses, which were designed to address student difficulties found in previous research,…

Ambiguities in the definition of angular momentum of a quantum-mechanical particle in the presence of a magnetic vortex are reviewed. We show that the long-standing problem of the adequate definition is resolved in the framework of the…

Measurement uncertainty and experimental error are important concepts taught in undergraduate physics laboratories. Although student ideas about error and uncertainty in introductory classical mechanics lab experiments have been studied…

We compare three attempts that have been made to decompose the angular momentum of the electromagnetic field into components of an "orbital" and "spin" nature. All three expressions are different and it appears, on the basis of classical…

There is a growing consensus that physics majors need to learn computational skills, but many departments are still devoid of computation in their physics curriculum. Some departments may lack the resources or commitment to create a…