# All Questions

87 views

### Aggregating daily readings with units of parts per million

I have a series of daily readings (NOx emissions) measured in parts per million. I need to aggregate the daily readings into a monthly measure. Clearly a sum operation will be incorrect (parts per ...
69 views

### Difference between $K_{\alpha}$, $K_{\beta}$ and binding energies

I'm having a small question regarding $K_{\alpha}$ and $K_{\beta}$ emissions. If I'm not mistaken this happens when there is a transition from the L shell to the K shell (Depending on the orbital), ...
120 views

### Derivation of impact free Boltzmann equation

When deriving the impact-free boltzmann equation ( $\frac{\partial f}{\partial t} + \vec{v} \cdot\frac{\partial f}{\partial \vec{x}} + \vec{a} \cdot \frac{\partial f}{\partial \vec{v}} = 0$) I have a ...
91 views

### Why is the Pegasus launched from a subsonic airplane?

Considering that the reason typically given for launching spacecraft from sea-level as opposed to mountains is that the limiting factor is velocity, not altitude, then why isn't the Pegasus rocket ...
4k views

### Is space “real”, or is it some sort of accepted postulate?

What is space? It seems to be everywhere in the equations of physics, as some sort of postulate or hidden hypothesis. We also have a direct experience of it, but is it "real"? The fact that we ...
129 views

### In which direction does the electron move during an electronic transition?

Let's imagine a molecule and put it in a 3D space. Let's also imagine an electronic transition for this molecule. I know how an electronic transition works, how to value if it is possible (using the ...
193 views

### Do the states forming an orthonormal basis have the same amount of entanglement?

If $\{|\psi_{i}\rangle\}$ is an orthonormal basis for a bipartite system, will $E(|\psi_i\rangle) = E(|\psi_j\rangle)$ for all $i, j$, where $E$ is some entanglement measure?
690 views

### Pauli principle for particles very far apart from each other

Can two electrons be in the same state, when they belong to two different atoms, which are "far enough" (whatever that means) apart from each other? With "same state" I mean that (as far as ...
3k views

### What is the speed of push/waves?

When we push something it moves due to the disturbance in it's molecular arrangement causing waves. How do I calculate the speed of push/waves? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnv-Pm4ehFs The push ...
111 views

### Reconciliation of a particle's rest frame and the uncertainty principle

When calculating in a rest frame, doesn't one assume both, definite velocity (zero) and position (origin)? Why is Heisenberg okay with that? Edit: E.g. For a decay we can do calculations in which we ...
1k views

### Performance of a thermos bottle relative to contents

I'm not a physicist but I majored it at high school (a long time ago) and I study university math. Me and my roommate discussed whether the performance of a Thermos bottle is influenced by how full ...
4k views

### Effective Refractive Index

Can some one please explain in simple words that what is effective refractive index? How it is different from the refractive index? And how we can calculate the effective refractive index?
239 views

### Mass - Gravitational pull - centrifugal force

In relation to mass/gravitational/centrifugal force. Is the increased gravitational force due to the increase in mass of a planet (i.e. earth) from meteorites, etc.. directly proportional to the ...
71 views

### Astronomical measurements and data

For the sub-nuclear physics there is a database of the Particle Data Group, I was wondering if there was a similar on-line collection for astrophysics, such as energy absorption and emission spectra ...
855 views

### Equation of motion of a photon in a given metric

I have this metric: $$ds^2=-dt^2+e^tdx^2$$ and I want to find the equation of motion (of x). for that i thought I have two options: using E.L. with the Lagrangian: $L=-\dot t ^2+e^t\dot x ^2$. ...
2k views

### How can I put a permanent current into a superconducting loop?

I know that you can use induction to create a current in a superconducting loop, but this only works as long as the coil that induces the field has a current flowing through it. And obviously, this ...
203 views

### nuclear physics homework

i have a homework in our nuclear physics class. the question is "An astronaut whose height in the earth is exactly 6ft is lying parallel to the axis of a spacecraft moving at a 0.9C relative to the ...
167 views

### Clarity in Electric field Definition?

The electric field at a point is defined as q/$r^2$. How does this definition take the nature of source and test charge into consideration. If I bring any positive/negative charge around the source ...
92 views

### antiferromagnetic spin wave

I have a hamiltonian that is derived from a spin wave energy dispersion calculation for a nearest neighbor interacting cubic antiferromagnet. After a Holstein-Primakoff transformation and making a ...
99 views

### Is it possible to accelerate a mass indefinitely using gravitational field?

As a particle's velocity increases, its mass increases(gamma times). Therefore, if a particle is in a gravitational field, the gravitational force it experiences must also increase(gamma times). The ...