Challenging the Foundations of Energy Conservation in Quantum Mechanics
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Chapter 1: The Principle of Energy Conservation
The principle of energy conservation is one of the most essential and well-established laws in physics, on par with the second law of thermodynamics. This law is intrinsically linked to the time-translation symmetry of the universe, meaning that the physical laws described by our equations remain unchanged as time progresses. Recently, this longstanding principle faced scrutiny from physicist Yakir Aharonov and his team through a theoretical quantum experiment.
Despite the controversy it has sparked among physicists, Aharonov and his colleagues suggested that a photon within a confined space could potentially contravene the law of energy conservation under specific conditions known as the superoscillatory regime. This regime allows for combinations of standard sinusoidal waves to produce a resultant wave with a frequency that exceeds that of any of its individual components. By introducing a mirror into the path of the photon close to the superoscillating wave function, they found that when the photon reflects off the mirror and exits the box, only the superoscillating portion of the wave function could be detected, resulting in a collapse of the accompanying wave function.
This finding raises fascinating implications, as it implies that a high-frequency gamma ray could emerge from a box that initially contained only low-energy red light. Aharonov and his collaborators encourage a reevaluation of the fundamental principles underlying conservation laws in the quantum realm, not just limited to energy conservation. They propose that there may be crucial aspects overlooked in earlier formulations.
Proc National Acad Sci 118, 1921529118 (2021).
Intriguing Science
In this video, explore how our universe may be breaking one of its most fundamental rules regarding energy conservation.
Further Reading
Conservation of Energy - Wikipedia
The law of conservation of energy asserts that the total energy within an isolated system remains unchanged.
Noether's Theorem - Wikipedia
Noether's theorem indicates that every continuous symmetry of the action in a conservative physical system corresponds to a conservation law.
Fourier Analysis - Wikipedia
Fourier analysis studies how general functions can be represented or approximated by sine and cosine functions.
Superoscillation - Wikipedia
Superoscillation is a phenomenon where a signal that is globally limited in bandwidth can oscillate faster than its highest frequency component.
Chapter 2: Reevaluating Quantum Conservation Laws
In this follow-up video, we delve into whether the findings regarding superoscillation truly represent a violation of energy conservation laws.
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