In reply to [email protected]'s message of Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:11:31 -0400 (EDT): Hi, [snip] >Pardon for this very late postscript, time is hard to find. > >I believe you assume a wave function totally confined in all 3-dimensions. > This is probably not what was intended. It is easy to find papers >describing crystal/lattice channel conduction of much higher energy >particles (electrons, protons, ...). These are extended states - only >confined in one or two dimensions. High energy particles do not >necessarily break the lattice structure. > >-- LP
What I meant to do was calculate the momentum (assuming a kinetic energy of 0.782 MeV for the proton), and divide it into h-bar/2. However it appears I got something slightly wrong the first time around. The value I get now is 2.57 fm for a proton, and 0.93 fm for the deuteron. However I don't really stand behind the entire concept. I don't think the energy of particles magically increases when they are confined. I do think the measurement uncertainty increases, but that's not the same thing as their actual energy. Instead, I see it as a limitation on our ability to measure, not a change in the actual properties of the particle itself. IOW the restriction applies to us, not to the particles. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
