Timeline for Amplitude of Probability amplitude. Which one is it?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2013 at 15:26 | vote | accept | 71GA | ||
| Feb 9, 2013 at 4:42 | answer | added | Freedom | timeline score: 3 | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 22:09 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/#!/StackPhysics/status/300003387427131392 | ||
| Feb 8, 2013 at 17:05 | comment | added | 71GA | In my oppinnion expression "wave function" suits $\psi$ way better than "probability amplitude". Later is confusing. I would name $\psi_0$ "probability amplitude" instead. These names are ridiculously confusing and should be changed! I mean in a plane wave here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_wave we have $A=A_0 e^{i(kx - \omega t)}$ where $A_0$ is called "amplitude". So if i have a $\psi = \psi_0 e^{i(kx - \omega t)}$ which in some way describes probability only logical thing would be to name $\psi_0$ "probability amplitude". | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 16:12 | comment | added | Řídící | Probability amplitudes (like probabilities) are unitless. Square or multiply them and the result remains unitless. So, no worries there. | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 15:40 | answer | added | JKL | timeline score: 7 | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 15:31 | history | edited | Qmechanic♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
retagged; layout;
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| Feb 8, 2013 at 14:53 | comment | added | Kenshin | It's called normalisation factor. | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 14:53 | comment | added | Luboš Motl | It's the absolute value of the probability amplitude. Why would you want an easier name for that? It's very important in quantum mechanics that the probability amplitudes are complex numbers. In the particular example you mentioned, a plane wave, the factor $\psi_0$ is moreover a totally irrelevant normalization factor. It's determined by conventions and/or by the requirement that the total probability is equal to one (which isn't possible for a plane wave in infinite space). | |
| Feb 8, 2013 at 14:29 | history | asked | 71GA | CC BY-SA 3.0 |