VII. Space-Time-Continuity and Atomic Physics

Wolfram Schommers

Yi Qin, Xiaoyang Shen, Wei-Xuan Chang +1 more

Cold atom physics in space station arouses a lot of interest of scientists. We investigate the dynamical output process of the space continuous atom laser by solving nonlinear Gross–Pitaevksii equations numerically. Slow-moving continuous atom beams in two directions are observed simultaneously. The slow-moving coherent atom beams can be used as a source of atom interferometer to realize long-time measurements. We also control the output of space atom laser by adjusting the output coupling strength.

Ernest J. Sternglass

James Hopwood Jeans

P reliminary S urvey With the coming of the twentieth century, there came into being a new physics which was especially concerned with phenomena on the atomic and sub-atomic scale. It brought with it a new way of interpreting the phenomena of inanimate nature, which was destined in time to sweep away all the difficulties besetting the old classical mechanics. A preliminary glance over the vast territory of this new physics reveals three outstanding landmarks. First we notice an investigation which Prof. Planck of Berlin published in 1899. His aim was so to amend the classical mechanics that it should fit the observed facts of radiation, and show why the energy of bodies was not wholly transformed into radiation. We have already seen that this was likely to involve giving up either continuity or causality or the representation of phenomena as changes taking place in space and time. Actually his investigation seemed to show that continuity had to be given up, suggesting that in the last resort changes in the universe do not consist of continuous motions in space and time, but are in some way discontinuous. The classical mechanics had envisaged a world constructed of matter and radiation, the matter consisting of atoms and the radiation of waves. Planck's theory called for an atomicity of radiation similar to that which was so well established for matter.