I have only a popular science understanding of quantum physics, so pardon me if my questions are misphrased.
In the famous two-slit experiment (let's say using electrons), a stream of particles are aimed at the barrier between two vertical slits. The characteristic interference pattern shows up on the screen behind, thus proving a wave-like property despite other tests that prove a particle-like property.
If we magnify the scale to billiard balls, I would expect all of the billiard balls to bounce off the barrier between the slits and none to pass through. So, Question #1: Why doesn't this happen at the sub-atomic level? Is the aim of the electron particle source wobbly, or is the position of each electron in the stream occupying a field larger than the width of the central barrier? If neither of these, how do the electrons get through at all?
In the popular science YouTubes and books, the Two-Slit Experiment gets weirder when they fire a single electron (or photon) at a time. The resulting dot on the screen appears to have a random position, but if you leave the experiment running, the characteristic interference pattern emerges out of the seemingly-random hits. The conclusion, confusingly, appears that each electron interferes with itself as it passes through both slits. This self-interference disappears if a particle detector is positioned beside either of the two slits. When measured at the point of passing through the slits, the particle never goes through both, but only one or the other.
Question #2: How do you fire a single electron? I mean, what's the physical setup that produces one, and only one, electron at a time? In order to know, wouldn't you have to place a particle detector beside the emission source? If so, wouldn't there be interference of some sort similar to measuring at one of the slits? Ditto for using photons instead of electrons. Without a detector, how do we know two particles don't slip through, interfering with each other (rather than one interfering with itself)?
Question #3: Is there a specified width of the slits, and a specified distance apart to produce the effects? That is, if the central barrier were a meter wide, and the slits on each side only an Angstrom wide, would the Two-Slit experiment show the same results? Does it work with any size slit at any distance apart? What happens to the interference pattern if the slits are wildly different; i.e., the left-hand slit is a millimeter wide, and the right-hand slit is a meter wide?
Question #4: Does a collimated light source, such as a good laser, produce the same weird effects? What if it were a purely theoretical "perfectly collimated" source?
Question #5: The slits can be very well-machined, but they can't be perfect. How do we know that the particles aren't interacting with the rough edges of the slits as they pass?
And last, Question #6: Does the Two-Slit experiment produce the same results if performed (a) in a vacuum, (b) at normal air pressure, (c) underwater?
In the famous two-slit experiment (let's say using electrons), a stream of particles are aimed at the barrier between two vertical slits. The characteristic interference pattern shows up on the screen behind, thus proving a wave-like property despite other tests that prove a particle-like property.
If we magnify the scale to billiard balls, I would expect all of the billiard balls to bounce off the barrier between the slits and none to pass through. So, Question #1: Why doesn't this happen at the sub-atomic level? Is the aim of the electron particle source wobbly, or is the position of each electron in the stream occupying a field larger than the width of the central barrier? If neither of these, how do the electrons get through at all?
In the popular science YouTubes and books, the Two-Slit Experiment gets weirder when they fire a single electron (or photon) at a time. The resulting dot on the screen appears to have a random position, but if you leave the experiment running, the characteristic interference pattern emerges out of the seemingly-random hits. The conclusion, confusingly, appears that each electron interferes with itself as it passes through both slits. This self-interference disappears if a particle detector is positioned beside either of the two slits. When measured at the point of passing through the slits, the particle never goes through both, but only one or the other.
Question #2: How do you fire a single electron? I mean, what's the physical setup that produces one, and only one, electron at a time? In order to know, wouldn't you have to place a particle detector beside the emission source? If so, wouldn't there be interference of some sort similar to measuring at one of the slits? Ditto for using photons instead of electrons. Without a detector, how do we know two particles don't slip through, interfering with each other (rather than one interfering with itself)?
Question #3: Is there a specified width of the slits, and a specified distance apart to produce the effects? That is, if the central barrier were a meter wide, and the slits on each side only an Angstrom wide, would the Two-Slit experiment show the same results? Does it work with any size slit at any distance apart? What happens to the interference pattern if the slits are wildly different; i.e., the left-hand slit is a millimeter wide, and the right-hand slit is a meter wide?
Question #4: Does a collimated light source, such as a good laser, produce the same weird effects? What if it were a purely theoretical "perfectly collimated" source?
Question #5: The slits can be very well-machined, but they can't be perfect. How do we know that the particles aren't interacting with the rough edges of the slits as they pass?
And last, Question #6: Does the Two-Slit experiment produce the same results if performed (a) in a vacuum, (b) at normal air pressure, (c) underwater?
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/3cNRIG9
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