[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)



Dear Jaro and Dale,

I am afraid that your ideas do not work! You see, neutrons are spin 1/2 
particles like protons and electrons.  They follow Fermi-Dirac statistics and 
their total wave function must be anti-symmetric.  That is the famous Pauli 
Principle, and it means that their wave functions are zero at the origin, 
keeping particles apart.  Bose-Einstein particles have integer spin and their 
total wave function must be symmetric. That means that their wave function
is maximal at the origin, pulling particles together.  That is exactly what 
happens in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) at very low temperatures.
All bosons clump together and have one common wave function. The latest
twist in this regard is that they used a laser to impart a common angular
momentum to the entire BEC clump!
Regards Fritz
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html