Related papers: A Bit too Far
We analyze the non-relativistic problem of a quantum particle that bounces back and forth between two moving walls. We recast this problem into the equivalent one of a quantum particle in a fixed box whose dynamics is governed by an…
In classical physics, there is a basic principle, namely "A particle cannot be located at the position of another one on the same time". Which consequences can be derived if this principle is transferred into quantum physics? For doing…
The Special Theory of Relativity and the Theory of the Electron have had an interesting history together. Originally the electron was studied in a non relativistic context and this opened up the interesting possibility that lead to the…
The particle in a box is a simple model that has a classical Hamiltonian $H=p^2$ (using $2m=1$), with a limited coordinate space, $-b<q<b$, where $0<b<\infty$. Using canonical quantization, this example has been fully studied thanks to its…
Quantum foundations are still unsettled, with mixed effects on science and society. By now it should be possible to obtain consensus on at least one issue: Are the fundamental constituents fields or particles? As this paper shows,…
A quantum particle on a circle in a quadratic potential exhibits a spectrum that is not harmonic, despite having all algebraic properties of the quantum harmonic oscillator. This raises the question where the usual algebraic argument --…
If a wave function does not describe microscopic reality then what does? Reformulating quantum mechanics in path-integral terms leads to a notion of "precluded event" and thence to the proposal that quantal reality differs from classical…
Complementarity is one of the main features of quantum physics that radically departs from classical notions. Here we consider the limitations that this principle imposes due to the unpredictability of measurement outcomes of incompatible…
The problem of a particle in a box is probably the simplest problem in quantum mechanics which allows for significant insight into the nature of quantum systems and thus is a cornerstone in the teaching of quantum mechanics. In relativistic…
The fundamental correspondence between quantum chaotic single-particle systems and random matrix theory is well-understood via periodic orbit theory. In contrast, we show that many-body systems with explicit subsystem structure possess…
Since the quantum field theory treats a system of particles, there must be a distribution which is associated with the system of particles. It means that a meaningful quantity is adjoined in the system of particles. It seems that these…
Quantum theory is extremely successful in explaining most physical phenomena, and is not contradicted by any experiment. Yet, the theory has many puzzling features : the occurrence of probabilities, the unclear distinction between the…
The nature of boundedness of orbits of a particle moving in a central force field is investigated. General conditions for circular orbits and their stability are discussed. In a bounded central field orbit, a particle moves clockwise or…
Among the many perplexing results of quantum mechanics is one that contradicts a result from introductory physics: the possibility of finding a quantum particle in a region that would be forbidden classically by energy conservation. An…
In the paper, it is argued that the phenomenon known as the quantum pigeonhole principle (namely, three quantum particles are put in two boxes, yet no two particles are in the same box) can be explained not as a violation of Dirichlet's box…
The three-box problem is a gedankenexperiment designed to elucidate some interesting features of quantum measurement and locality. A particle is prepared in a particular superposition of three boxes, and later found in a different (but…
The quantum object is in general considered as displaying both wave and particle nature. By particle is understood an item localized in a very small volume of the space, and which cannot be simultaneously in two disjoint regions of the…
In quantum electrodynamics a classical part of the S-matrix is normally factored out in order to obtain a quantum remainder that can be treated perturbatively without the occurrence of infrared divergences. However, this separation, as…
Modern quantum chemistry can make quantitative predictions on an immense array of chemical systems. However, the interpretation of those predictions is often complicated by the complex wave function expansions used. Here we show that an…
A critical study of the wave mechanics of a particle trapped in a 1-D box having infinite potential walls and small flexibility in its size reveals its several important and hither to unknown aspects which could be relevant for better…