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For elementary particles, are their associated De Broglie wavelengths affected by the spacetime curvature produced by large mass density values?

I ask this as a newcomer to Q.M. so apologies if I have not thought it through completely or if I have misunderstood a basic concept.

I would guess the answer is yes, but if that is the case, then should we be able to reconcile results from two separate two slit experiments, one near a strong gravity source and the other occurring in flat space?

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  • $\begingroup$ Maybe there is something resembling this experiment in Astrophysics and Cosmology. $\endgroup$
    – jjack
    Aug 18, 2015 at 19:31
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks very much, I searched on Google, with and without SE references to avoid duplicates, nothing jumped out at me but I will keep looking $\endgroup$
    – user81619
    Aug 18, 2015 at 19:34
  • $\begingroup$ How strong? You can put $V=-GMm/r^2$ into you potential and solve the Schrödinger equation and you get results that agree with double slit experiments that have been done on earth. But is that strong enough? $\endgroup$
    – Timaeus
    Aug 19, 2015 at 2:04
  • $\begingroup$ @Timaeus that's what I don't know until someone does the experiment, although I don't really expect any difference, no matter what the strength. I just read about the Penrose Interpretation and almost certainly I joined the wrong dots about possible experimental tests. As I might have said before, I do really need to practice reading the background first, then ask the question, rather than jump in, as in this question. $\endgroup$
    – user81619
    Aug 19, 2015 at 2:19
  • $\begingroup$ @AcidJazz The experiments have been done already for fields like on the earth, nothing was other than as expected. And a centrifuge isn't a gravitational force it is a container pushing on your substance. $\endgroup$
    – Timaeus
    Aug 19, 2015 at 2:23

3 Answers 3

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Given how weak gravity is compared to the other fundamental forces, in practical cases where we do quantum mechanics (subatomic, atomic, molecular physics, solid state, etc.) gravity is utterly negligible. Once we try to work in a regime (such as near a micro-black hole) where gravitational forces are comparable with other forces you are into the regime of quantum gravity. We don't yet have a working theory of quantum gravity, so there is probably no simple answer known to your question.

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  • $\begingroup$ Agreed, there are no simple tests, as Timaeus says above, a centrifuge is no substitute for gravity. I am wary of suggesting other tests, such as using the equivalence principle and rockets, as at my current level of study, it would be tiptoeing through a minefield of valid objections. Still, if there was a gravity aspect.....that's why I could not resist the question. $\endgroup$
    – user81619
    Aug 19, 2015 at 2:43
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The double slit experiment has been performed under varying gravity conditions. Granted, this was Earth gravity, which wouldn't be considered strong by any means, but the effects were measurable. These were first written about in 1974-75:

  • A.W. Overhauser and R. Colella, “Experimental test of gravitationally induced quantum interference,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 33 (1974), 1237
  • R. Colella, A.W. Overhauser and S.A. Werner, “Observation of gravitationally induced quantum interference,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 34 (1975), 1472.

This experiment used neutrons in a double slit experiment where the two paths were vertically displaced, leading to different phase shifts in the two wavefunction due to the varying gravitational potential.

A good explanation can be found here: http://skullsinthestars.com/2015/05/20/1975-the-year-that-quantum-mechanics-met-gravity/

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An astrophysical maser, microlensed by a foreground object (star or extrasolar planet) passing by, could maybe do the trick.

The wave pattern will be much larger than earth so it will have to be measured over time as earth passes through it.

The biggest difficulty will be finding a suitable candidate.

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