A Can scattering experiment be used to determine location and momentum of an electron?

  • A
  • Thread starter Thread starter sumitgarg1
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Compton scattering
sumitgarg1
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
It seems Compton scattering experiment can be used to determine location of electron by hitting it with photon.
As per Compton scattering. if we measure λ' , λ and θ accurately; the location of electron can be determined.(in theory).

λ' - λ = h(1-cosθ)/m*c

also when θ=π then :

Δp = h*/λ -h*/λ'

Δx = c * Δ t / 2 where Δ t = time interval of photon discharge from source and receiving it on detector.

In this scenario ; can someone please explain how uncertainty principle applies to Compton scattering??
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I haven't read the Stack Exchange thread, but at a heuristic level, looking at your expressions for ##\Delta p## and ##\Delta x##, the former involves wavelength and the latter involves time. Those are complementary observables just as momentum and position are complementary observables. So you haven't found a way to avoid the uncertainty principle; you've just exchanged one pair of complementary observables for another.
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
I am reading WHAT IS A QUANTUM FIELD THEORY?" A First Introduction for Mathematicians. The author states (2.4 Finite versus Continuous Models) that the use of continuity causes the infinities in QFT: 'Mathematicians are trained to think of physical space as R3. But our continuous model of physical space as R3 is of course an idealization, both at the scale of the very large and at the scale of the very small. This idealization has proved to be very powerful, but in the case of Quantum...
Thread 'Lesser Green's function'
The lesser Green's function is defined as: $$G^{<}(t,t')=i\langle C_{\nu}^{\dagger}(t')C_{\nu}(t)\rangle=i\bra{n}C_{\nu}^{\dagger}(t')C_{\nu}(t)\ket{n}$$ where ##\ket{n}## is the many particle ground state. $$G^{<}(t,t')=i\bra{n}e^{iHt'}C_{\nu}^{\dagger}(0)e^{-iHt'}e^{iHt}C_{\nu}(0)e^{-iHt}\ket{n}$$ First consider the case t <t' Define, $$\ket{\alpha}=e^{-iH(t'-t)}C_{\nu}(0)e^{-iHt}\ket{n}$$ $$\ket{\beta}=C_{\nu}(0)e^{-iHt'}\ket{n}$$ $$G^{<}(t,t')=i\bra{\beta}\ket{\alpha}$$ ##\ket{\alpha}##...
Back
Top