Problems with, and criticisms of, experiments and the AB effect itself

Gregory Eskin

We give a direct proof of the magnetic Aharonov-Bohm effects without using the scattering theory and the theory of inverse boundary value problems. This proof can serve as a framework for a physical experiment to confirm the magnetic AB effect. We prove also the electric AB effect and we suggest a physical experiment to demonstrate the electric AB effect. In addition, we consider a combined electric and magnetic AB effect and we propose a new inverse problem for the time-dependent Schrödinger equations. Finally we study the gravitational AB effect.

D. Bar

M. A. B. Bég

Andrey Alexandrov, Takashi Asada, Matías Bayo +22 more

The Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect is one of the most striking features of quantum physics, and it is of critical importance to elucidate the role of the electromagnetic potential and its physical meaning. In spite of the fact that it was first proposed in 1949, up to now it has only been demonstrated for electrons and neutrons. We propose the realization of an experiment to study the AB effect for the antiproton, which will have the double feature of being a non-elementary charged particle and at the same time an antiparticle. The experiment will be conducted in collaboration with the ASACUSA (Atomic Spectroscopy And Collisions Using Slow Antiprotons) group at the CERN AD (Antiproton Decelerator), making use of a slow antiproton beam.

Roger Gomm

A. Hayashi

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase is usually associated with a line integral of the electromagnetic vector potential generated by an external current source, such as a solenoid. According to this interpretation, the AB phase of a nonclosed path cannot be observed, as the integral depends on the gauge choice of the vector potential. Recent attempts to explain the AB effect through the interaction between a charged particle and an external current, mediated by the exchange of quantum photons, have assumed that the AB phase shift is proportional to the change in interaction energy between the charged particle and the external current source. As a result, these attempts argue that the AB phase change along a path does not depend on the gauge choice, and that the AB phase shift for a nonclosed path is in principle measurable. In this paper, we critically examine this claim and demonstrate that the phase obtained through this approach is actually gauge dependent and not an observable for a nonclosed path. We also provide a brief critical discussion of the proposed experiment for observing the AB phase shift of a nonclosed path.