All Questions

59 views

Rayleigh criterion for sound and parabolic microphone

Currently I am developing a parabolic microphone for a study project. I've heard and read that the maximum wavelength of sound that the given diameter microphone can focus is determined based on the ...
185 views

Charge on the remaining atom after Alpha decay

In radioactive alpha decay, a helium atom is shown to be released. However, I was told that only thing released is a helium nucleus. If so, then it should leave two of its electrons in the atom ...
87 views

Why does electromagnetic refraction happen?

Why does refraction happen? In high school textbooks, it is stated that it happens because the speed that electromagnetic waves propagate in the media change. But why cant they continue propagating in ...
3k views

What really cause light/photons to appear slower in media?

I know that if we solve the Maxwell equation, we will end up with the phase velocity of light being related to the permeability and the permittivity of the material. But this is not what I'm ...
105 views

Trying to show that the current is conserved

$\newcommand{\p}{\partial}$ I am trying to show that the current $J^{\mu} = (\gamma_{\nu}\partial^{\nu} \phi - m\phi)\gamma^{\mu}\psi$ is conserved for all fields that satisfy the Klein-Gordon and ...
3k views

What is the mechanism behind the slowdown of light/photons in a transparent medium?

So light travels slower in glass (for example) than in a vacuum. What causes light to slow down? Or: How does it slow down? If light passes through the medium, is it not essentially traveling in the ...
293 views

Are the Møller wave operators $\Omega_\pm$ related to $\lim_{t\rightarrow\infty}U(t)$ from field theory?

When we want to compute correlation functions $\langle\Omega|\,T\hat{\phi}(x_1)\ldots|\Omega\rangle$ in an interacting quantum field theory, we relate it to the free-field objects $|0\rangle$ and ...
69 views

Is FTL information transfer possible in an experiment involving entangled particles and an “available” black hole?

We consider the classical entanglement experiments involving Alice and Bob, and their entangled particles. It is proved that nothing that happens at Bob's end has any immediate effect on Alice's ...
236 views

Which electromagnetic radiation is faster in water, microwaves or light?

Well I've been asked this question, but I haven't been able to come with an answer yet using books and some web searches. The point is as the title says, to answer the question with the whole ...
290 views

How do we know that electron wave function extends to infinity?

Why do physicists assume this? Is it a proven fact that wave function extends to infinity or just a theory? Would it make sense if they didn't extend to infinity?
2k views

What is the effect of polarization on diffraction by a narrow slit?

Consider the well known demonstration of diffraction by a narrowing slit. (See for example the demonstration at the 30 minute mark of this lecture at MIT by Walter Lewin) It is my (possibly mistaken) ...
71 views

The concept of an electrically short, medium and long transmission line is primarily based on? [closed]

The concept of an electrically short, medium and long transmission line is primarily based on ? A. nominal voltage of the line B. physical length of line C. wave length of line D. power transmitted ...
140 views

Speed cannot be greater than speed of light. How about acceleration? Does it have limit?

We know that $c$ is the largest speed in the universe. How about the acceleration, does it has limit?
37 views

Does this violate Stefan's law

Radiation energy per unit time is given Stefan-Boltzmann law as being proportional to temperature to the 4th power, and to surface area of the body. (For black bodies) This was told to me in our ...
3k views

Magnitude of magnetic field at the center of circular wire

I'm preparing for an exam by solving the sample questions , here is the one I'm having difficulty with : Following is the given circuit. Which contains two resistance $R_1$ and $R_2$ in form of ...
217 views

Are wave functions real physical objects? [duplicate]

Are wave functions (ex. electron waves) real physical objects or just mathematical tools?. Some researchers say that they have proof that they are real objects. Here's [the link] ...
147 views

Combination of errors question [closed]

A resistance R is in series with an inductance L. At angular frequency ω the magnitude of the complex impedance Z of this combination is given by |Z|^2 = R^2 + (ωL)^2 . Find |Z|, and the error in |Z|, ...
32 views

Why does non-abelianity implies a single coupling constant?

Why does a theory described by a non-abelian group has only a single coupling constant $g$? While on the other hand in an abelian theory, as Electromagnetism, each charged particle has its own charge ...
94 views

What're some criticisms of the paper “Six observations consistent with the electron neutrino being a tachyon with mass: mνe² = −0.11±0.016 eV²”?

Today I read about this paper making the case that neutrinos have imaginary mass and travel faster than light. I want to get excited, but I have no way to know how likely it is that this paper will be ...
78 views

planewave Ansatz for modelling phonon dispersion in crystals

From Ashcroft's "Solid State Physics", for one-dimensional monatomic Bravais lattice, the equations of motion of ions are: $$M\ddot u(na)=-K[2u(na)-u([n-1]a)-u([n+1]a)]$$ ...
28 views

Why in SQCD $R_{\psi}= R_{\phi}-1$?

In SQCD = suspersymmetric QCD, in 4 dimensions and with one SUSY generator how do we determine the $R$-charge of the $U(1)_R$ symmetry of the various operators in a chiral supermultiplet? Say for ...
70 views

What is the implication that the Schrodinger equation be solved by both real and imaginary part of the wave function? [closed]

Suppose $\psi = \psi_{real} + i \psi_{imag}$ be the wave function, then both $\psi_{real}$ and $\psi_{imag}$ can be used to solve the Schrodinger's equation This can be demonstrated by plugging ...
92 views

Configuration Space And Hilbert Space For A Physicist Without Knowledge Of Analysis

I have passed calculus course, have basic knowledge of complex numbers and passed introductory linear algebra course. I am trying to study Griffith Quantum Mechanics book, but I am also checking some ...
56 views

What's the physical or mathematical meaning of considering non-minimal coupling?

Why we still consider the case of non-minimal coupling? And I don't really understand the motivation of coupling. In general relativity, the non-minimal coupling violates the principle of ...
167 views

Why are large scale structures isotropic in the Ising model?

I have at least a qualitative understanding of why the critical state of the Ising model is scale invariant, by arguments to do with renormalisation, which I understand only very roughly. However, in ...
46 views

does electron - positron pair annihilation occur when E is negative?

Suppose I release an electron-positron pair from rest at a distance of $r$. Then the particles attract each other and collide. The total energy $E$ is $$E = 2m_ec^2-\frac{e^2}{4\pi\varepsilon_0r},$$ ...
123 views

Exact formula in simplest terms for Magnetic field at a point outside a solenoid [closed]

I need the COMPLETE formula for magnetic field outside the solenoid. So the situation I am stuck in is I have to solve this question: The magnetic field at the centre of coil of $n$ turns, bent in ...
6k views

Why do sunbeams diverge even though the sun is much more than a few kilometers away?

Consider this picture of sun beams streaming onto the valley through the clouds. Given that the valley is only (at a guess) 3km wide, with simple trigonometry and the angles of the beams, this ...
139 views

If reality is relative, then what about Newton's bucket argument?

There is nothing outside the universe. - Lee Smolin So, there can't be any absolute frame. Everything must be measured relative to an entity that exists in the universe. Thus, space ...
416 views

In physics, what is the importance of distinguishing between a matrix and a group? [closed]

On the topic of Pauli matrices, I have noticed that some authors tend to use the term matrix and group interchangeably. I am asking because I do not see see any profound difference referring to the ...
12 views

Reason for audio speaker diaphragm shape [duplicate]

Why are the diaphragms on audio speakers usually a cone with a dome in the centre? I don't know much about acoustics but my guesses would be: it just empirically sounds better, the design was found ...
142 views

Connections between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics [duplicate]

I've been studying quantum mechanics and classical mechanics for a little while now, and I still don't feel as though I fully understand the motivation for some of our choices in Heisenberg mechanics. ...
80 views

Boy , Table and the Newton [duplicate]

Suppose a boy is trying to stand on a table. If the table can hold upto a particular force, the boy would fall on to earth. If he stands on the table and providing greater force than the table can ...
58 views

Why $2j+1$ number of states?

In this statement from Modern Quantum Mechanics by J.J. Sakurai: If $j$ is an integer, all $m$ values are integers; if $j$ is a half-integer, all $m$ values are half-integers. The allowed ...
159 views

charge distribution on three conducting plates [closed]

There are three parallel plates identical and equidistant. A charge q is given to the first plate.And then the second and third plate are connected with wire.Then how to find its charge distribution. ...
453 views

How can a negative charge move towards a position of a higher electric potential but lose electric potential energy?

I understand that the equation is: change in electric potential = (negative)change in electric potential energy / unit charge. And I understand that if q is negative, then the change in electric ...
77 views

Is the speed of photon always $c_0$? [duplicate]

The propagation of light in medium is sometimes interpreted as the photons moving with $c_0$ (the speed of light in vacuum), occasionally absorbed by particles and released again by transition, ...
103 views

How to minimize the wavepacket dispersion?

This is a final exam problem. Here is what I can remember: We know that if an electron's wavefunction starts out as a narrow wavepacket, and moving in a region of constant potential, then the ...
344 views

Why quantum states are classified using only conserved quantities?

While studying quantum mechanics from standard textbooks I always felt some conceptual gap that was never mentioned or explained. In what follow I tried to formulate my question, please be patient ...
38 views

Does the holographic principle imply that objects exist twice?

The surface area that surrounds a volume of space contains the same information that the volume has. My question is if we have Alice in a 3D space the 2D boundary should have all of her information. ...
104 views

If earth stopped spinning how much heavier would 1kg feel [closed]

My girlfriend seems to think if the earth stops spinning we will all fall off However, she did spark my imagination, due to centripetal force things must feel lighter then they otherwise would on an ...
41 views

Moduli space for $CP^N$ and $T^{*} CP^N$ in $\mathcal{N}=2$ SUSY

For complex $\phi$ in $U(1)$ gauge theory, \begin{align} |\phi_1|^2 + |\phi_2|^2 +\cdots |\phi_N|^2 =r \end{align} This equation $|\phi|^2=r$, describes sphere $S^{2N-1}$. Dividing the space of this ...
53 views

How have the duration of the martian day changed in the past?

There is a panspermia theory which claims that life might have begun on Mars and I currently read a post that the human circadian rhythm is closer to the martian day length (about 25h) than the day ...
108 views

How to reconcile these two approximations?

I'm working on what should be a simple problem (Taylor Classical Mechanics problem 6.23.), but I'm having a tough time reconciling the many ways it can be tackled. An aircraft whose speed is $v_0$ ...
254 views

Why do we hear a higher pitched sound outside the water when we smash two stones in water?

The observer is outside the water; the stones are in water (say, 1 m below the surface). This produces a higher-pitched sound for the observer than if both the observer and the stones are in air. Is ...
27 views

If neutron would be lighter by 1 MeV, how stability of Hydrogen could be changed?

In current Universe proton is stable and the following reaction does not go $p + e \rightarrow n + \overline{\nu_e}$ Currently proton is lighter than neutron by 1.293 MeV. If neutron would be ...
85 views

Sun: When its closest and when its farther away?

If the sun is closest to the North American Hemisphere in the winter than it is in the summer, why doesn't our faces and hands tan and/or blister quicker? Please provide two hyperlink sources with ...
250 views

How is the Horizon Problem really a problem?

I always thought the uniformity in the temperature of the CMB was supposed to be expected, since it's a much more probable initial condition for the universe. I finally found someone explaining what I ...
I am trying to do a tree level calculation of cross section in a process that involves sbottom exchange. There is a $\widetilde{b} q \bar{q}$ vertex, where $q$ and $\bar q$ are quark and anti-quark ...