Posted: Sep 15, 2011 8:44 pm
eric8476 wrote:interjection -
is the medium that electrons flow in when shoot out of a source through the slits providing wave behavior of the electrons? and does observing it when it passes through the slits interupt the medium's function. does an electron beam that shoots single electrons at a time have extra discharge when shooting the electrons? what do the elecrtons use to move in the space between the sooting device and the recording device? is this next nobel prize stuff or moot point?
enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc&feature=player_embedded
Hi Eric,
These experiments are conducted in a vacuum, any medium would tend to scatter and absorb the electron beam. Regarding light, well this was a bit of a conundrum in the 19th century - just what was 'waving'? It has been pretty conclusively shown that light (Electromagnetic radiation) doesn't need a medium to travel through (Actually, Maxwell's equations hint heavily at this - a varying magnetic field induces a varying electric field. A varying electric field induces a varying magnetic field.).
I'm not at all sure what you mean with "...an electron beam that shoots single electrons at a time have extra discharge when shooting the electrons"? Are you asking if an extra, invisible, particle is simultaneously emitted along with each individual electron, that subsequently interferes with the electron at the double-slits? What evidence is there of this? What experiment do you think could be constructed to show this? - An exercise for the reader, perhaps!
With regards to "...what do the elecrtons use to move in the space ...", I'm not sure what you are asking here? Classically, a particle, once set in motion, will continue until an external force impinges (Newton's first law of motion). Are you thinking that some external force must be applied continuously in order to keep the electron moving? This would be a naive view of things, to say the least!