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Originally posted by AfterInfinity
. . . I don't appreciate the tone of your question.
You're getting back what you've dished out.
Originally posted by BIHOTZ
I wonder though, if you were to apply refraction instead.....a well designed prism that could do the same. Since the velocity of the wave is not important, but the frequency is, refraction might achieve the same results. Perhaps your experiment will make it possible to work backwards form the data collected to create a structure that by its design, using refraction, could produce the same effects you speak of and remain constant and static.
Originally posted by AfterInfinity
And where the hell is OP for all this?! Wasn't it his idea to begin with? Should change his username to "Absent Minded Professor"... :lol
Don't believe me? This has already been discussed by Physics Experts (debunking pros) both here at ATS on my other thread"Curving light waves" and by Top World Quantum Physics Experts on physicsforum.com.The best Quantum scientists on the planet are not arguing with me.
As others have mentioned, you would not be able to "catch" a photon half way out of an emitter.
Think of it this way, the absolute fastest anything can move is the speed of light. This is the speed that photons move. The photon is also one of the smallest elementary particles. The smallest thing moving at the fastest speed is as close to instantaneous as it is possible to get.
There's no chance, even with technology way beyond what we currently have, to catch a photon "half way out" of an emitter.
Not to mention that a photon is a discrete packet size. There is nothing that exists which is a semi-photon. This is one of the fundamentals of the "quantumness" of our universe. Some things cannot be subdivided.
This 'experiment' cannot be done.
You are under a misconception that a photon is made of a wave packet. This is not true. The wave function describes the photon according to our own rules and math. It allows us to make predictions about photons, such as what the probability of a photon hitting a detector at a specific location is. The wave function, or wave packet, is not "something". It is a mathematical concept.
Originally posted by Mary Rose
Originally posted by primalfractal
I realized I am resposible for seeing it through.
What math must you have in order to elicit interest in performing the experiment?
What resources do you have for the experiment?
Originally posted by tgidkp
i have prepared a sequence of images with which i wish to illustrate some of the peculiarities of one of our favorite topics around here, quantum mechanics. it is actually pretty easy to understand if you are given a proper explanation. some people would have you believe that (feynman's quote?) "no one understands quantum physics". these people either do not understand it themselves, or secretly are ashamed of what appears to be "mystical" properties which cannot be explained by their "expertise". in particular, i would like to offer clarity on the measurement problem and observer effect, spin states, fractional spin states, coherent and collective states, linear vs. nonlinear, waveform summation, and so forth.
each image represents a measurement of the phase space at an increasing resolution. in the first image, at a resolution of 50 in 200 (or .25 per-seconds), we have a simple wavefunction and its 2D spin matrix (scroll to right for spin states). and also a plot of the sum of its energy potential across one dimension.
if we take a little closer look, we can begin to see the splitting of the spin states into fractional and integer spins. it is easy to see here what is meant by "boson" (1) and "fermion" (1/2).
at this resolution, an uneven division of 200 by 30, we can see that the measurement at this interval is having a strange effect on the symmetry.... a "dissonance". along with this dissonance comes some spins with ODD values. because these spins are odd, they are also non-abelian (abelian means "this or that"...."one or the other"). this, specifically, is what is meant by a "fractional" spin state. according to physics, these types of particles dont "officially" exist (exotic).
here, we can start to see a coherent state forming in the field and a very nice symmetry in the energy trace which is typical of a coherent system.
this level of the phase space seems to be dominated by negative charges...i wonder why? there is a definite real particle (and some minor virtual particles) starting to take shape. do you see how successive measurement on the space creates the particle?
at this level, at a measurement frequency (wavelength) of .025 per-seconds, we can see quite clearly that the function i have mapped over the space has very little dissonance (noise) in the spectrum....this is of course an idealized example.
in this last measurement, we have sampled the potential at every position in the space. you can see what is known as "braiding" of anyons (quasiparticles) as the phase propagates. it is most important to note that each of these spin states (1,1/2,1/4, etc.) represent particles (electrons, protons, etc) which will only be located at a very specific positions (energy value) over the field....their position is enforced by the state function.
but what is the very MOST important thing to get out of this presentation is that the quantum system is a nonlinear STATE function. to put it another way, if you were to take each of these colored spins one by one, row by row, you would get a linear sequence. but a quantum system is NOT LINEAR. the state of the system is defined on a level "higher than" the linear sequence. this is why quantum measurement is called an "observer". an observer is able to view the state of the system, and is necessarily OUTSIDE or ABOVE the system. observation from within the system results in entanglement (which is an intermediate of actual observation....think shrodinger's live/dead cat).
entanglement and coherence are easily understood as the uncanny effect of the concerted symmetry. one could ask the question, "how does the potential located at position A know what particle B is doing on the other side of the space?" this is a legitimate question, because the patterns that develop over a STATE function are impossible to explain with a purely linear, sequential, interpretation.
i really, really want you to understand what is meant by "state". all of those pretty little patterns of lines and circles represent the "spooky" and time-bending properties so often associated with the quantum theory. it is also why a generalized quantum theory (physicists hate the thought!) is an excellent candidate for a science of consciousness.
are those particles, individually, aware of the state function in which they are a part? no. thus, the coherent system appears to have a type of "self-awareness" which scares the hell out of physicists....but excites the rest of us!
see. that wasnt so hard, now, was it?
thanks for reading!
Originally posted by tgidkp
oh dear. this all has been taken waaaay over the top. but, since i am being quoted anyways, i may as well try to clear up some of this mess....
i have prepared a sequence of images which i was gonna post here, but i made a new thread HERE.
it is especially important for the op to understand that some type of fractional or virtual state are likely what will be measured during his experiment.....if you measure anything at all. THEY ARE NOT (and will never be) PHOTONS!!! i did not say (and would not say) that it would be possible to have a photon with fractional spin. it MAY, however, give rise to virtual particles if it is perturbed as the OP describes.
anyways. i am fully in favor of the revolutionary and metaphysical perspective that quantum theory elicits in people. but i am fully NOT in favor of people "discovering" things for which they do not have a foundation of understanding. in other words, op, you have a lot of learning to do!!!