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arXiv:1807.06934 · Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A

On the Universal Scattering Time of Neutrons

Guenter Nimtz, Paul Bruney

Published Sep 5, 2018• 0 citations
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Abstract

Abstract Tunnelling and barrier interaction times of neutrons were previously measured. Here we show that the neutron interaction time with barriers corresponds to the universal tunnelling time of wave mechanics which was formerly observed with elastic, electromagnetic and electron waves. The universal tunnelling time seems to hold for neutrons also. Such an adequate general wave mechanical behaviour was conjectured by Brillouin. Remarkably, wave mechanical effects, and even virtual particles, hold from the microcosm to the macrocosm.

DOI
10.1515/zna-2018-0331

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Abstract Tunnelling and barrier interaction times of neutrons were previously measured. Here we show that the neutron interaction time with barriers corresponds to the universal tunnelling time of wave mechanics which was formerly observed with elastic, electromagnetic and electron waves. The universal tunnelling time seems to hold for neutrons also. Such an adequate general wave mechanical behaviour was conjectured by Brillouin. Remarkably, wave mechanical effects, and even virtual particles, hold from the microcosm to the macrocosm.
Tunnelling and barrier interaction times of neutrons were previously measured. Here we show that the neutron interaction time with barriers corresponds to the universal tunnelling time of wave mechanics which was formerly observed with elastic, electromagnetic and electron waves. The universal tunnelling time seems to hold for neutrons also. Such an adequate general wave mechanical behaviour was conjectured by Brillouin. Remarkably, wave mechanical effects, and even virtual particles, hold from the microcosm to the macrocosm.
Abstract Zero tunneling time and thereby a faster than light traversal velocity was calculated nearly a hundred years ago and has been observed recently. We report about experimental results and estimations, which confirm the zero time tunneling for elastic as well as for electromagnetic and Schrödinger waves. Zero time tunneling was first observed with microwaves 1992 (H. Aichmann and G. Nimtz, Found. Phys., vol. 44, p. 678, 2014; A. Enders and G. Nimtz, J. Phys. I, vol. 2, p. 169, 1992). In 2008, zero time was also observed for tunneling electrons (P. Eckle, A. N. Pfeiffer, C. Cirelli, et al., Science, vol. 322, p. 1525, 2008). Presumably, this effect took place with atoms quite recently (R. Ramos, D. Spierings, I. Racicot, and A. M. Steinberg, Nature, vol. 583, p. 529, 2020). The Einstein relation E 2 = (ħk)2 c 2 is not satisfied in the tunneling process, since the wave number k is imaginary (E is the total energy, ħ the Planck constant, and c the vacuum velocity of light), Zero time tunneling is described by virtual photons (A. Stahlhofen and G. Nimtz, Europhys. Lett., vol. 76, p. 189, 2006). The tunneling process itself violates the Special Theory of Relativity. Remarkably, Brillouin conjectured that wave mechanics is valid for all waves independent of their field (L. Brillouin, Wave Propagation in Periodic Structures, Chap. VIII, New York, Dover Publications, 1953).
Abstract Tunneling is an outstanding physical process. The observation that particles surmount a high barrier in spite of the fact that they don't have the necessary energy can not be explained by classical physics. However, this so called tunneling became allowed by quantum mechanics. Experimental tunneling studies with different photonic barriers from microwave frequencies up to ultraviolet frequencies point towards a universal tunneling time [1, 2]. Tunneling can be described by virtual, that is, by unobservable particles [3]. In the case of tunneling there is a virtual particle between the real incident and the real transmitted particles. Tunneling modes are solutions of the Schrödinger and of the Helmholtz equations. The most prominent example of the occurrence of tunneling modes in optics is frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) at double prisms. In 1949 Sommerfeld [4] pointed out that this optical phenomenon represents the analogy of quantum mechanical particle tunneling. Recent experimental and theoretical data confirmed the conjecture that the tunneling process is characterized by a universal tunneling time presumably independent of the kind of field. The observed tunneling processes proceeded at a time of the order of magnitude of the reciprocal frequency of the wave packets.
Tunneling is an outstanding physical process. The observation that particles surmount a high barrier in spite of the fact that they don't have the necessary energy can not be explained by classical physics. However, this so called tunneling became allowed by quantum mechanics. Experimental tunneling studies with different photonic barriers from microwave frequencies up to ultraviolet frequencies point towards a universal tunneling time [1, 2]. Tunneling can be described by virtual, that is, by unobservable particles [3]. In the case of tunneling there is a virtual particle between the real incident and the real transmitted particles. Tunneling modes are solutions of the Schrödinger and of the Helmholtz equations. The most prominent example of the occurrence of tunneling modes in optics is frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) at double prisms. In 1949 Sommerfeld [4] pointed out that this optical phenomenon represents the analogy of quantum mechanical particle tunneling. Recent experimental and theoretical data confirmed the conjecture that the tunneling process is characterized by a universal tunneling time presumably independent of the kind of field. The observed tunneling processes proceeded at a time of the order of magnitude of the reciprocal frequency of the wave packets.
The energy of a wave packet tunneling a barrier is negative and its wavenumber is imaginary. What happens with time and locality? Several studies have been published resulting in a real time.However, previous theories and recent experiments revealed that the time spent inside abarrierhas no finite value but is zero. A“zero time” observation was found in different experiments and fields. In 1953Brillouin conjectured that wave mechanics holds for all fields including elastic, electromagnetic and Schrödinger waves and possibly other areas such as neuroscience.Our report addressesboth, time andspace.
Tunneling is probably the most important physical process. The observation that particles surmount a high mountain in spite of the fact that they don’t have the necessary energy can not be explained by classical physics. However, this so called tunneling became allowed by the theory of quantum mechanics. Experimental tunneling studies with different photonic barriers from microwave frequencies up to ultraviolet frequencies pointed toward a universal tunneling time [1, 2]. The observed results and calculations have shown that the tunneling time of opaque photonic barriers (for instance optical mirrors) equals approximately the reciprocal frequency of the electromagnetic wave in question. The tunneling process is described by virtual photons [3]. Virtual particles like photons or electrons are not observable. However, from the theoretical point of view, they represent necessary intermediate states between observable real states. In the case of tunneling there is a virtual particle between the incident and the transmitted particle. Tunneling modes have a