- #1
zoobyshoe
- 6,510
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Reading about the double slit experiment in Six Easy Pieces I came across something I had questions about, which is how they detect whether an electron has gone through one slit or the other:
"To our electron apparatus we add a very strong light source, placed behind the wall and between the two holes, as shown in Fig. 6-4. We know that electric charges scatter light. So when an electron passes, however it does pass, on its way to the detector, it will scatter some light to our eye, and we can see where the electron goes."
p.127
I am wondering what the explanation is for this effect (the effect being: electric charges scatter light), if it has a name, and if it means that photons have a charge or if the electron is interacting with it electromagnetically, or if something else is going on. Is this actually visible with the naked eye? If so, what does it look like? History? Anyone know who discovered this? Somehow, I've never run across mention of this effect before.
(I'm asking this effect in and of itself, not in its implications to the double slit, which Feynman covers to my satisfaction.)
"To our electron apparatus we add a very strong light source, placed behind the wall and between the two holes, as shown in Fig. 6-4. We know that electric charges scatter light. So when an electron passes, however it does pass, on its way to the detector, it will scatter some light to our eye, and we can see where the electron goes."
p.127
I am wondering what the explanation is for this effect (the effect being: electric charges scatter light), if it has a name, and if it means that photons have a charge or if the electron is interacting with it electromagnetically, or if something else is going on. Is this actually visible with the naked eye? If so, what does it look like? History? Anyone know who discovered this? Somehow, I've never run across mention of this effect before.
(I'm asking this effect in and of itself, not in its implications to the double slit, which Feynman covers to my satisfaction.)