Applying the Uncertainty Principle to Single Particle Interactions
| Scientific Paper | |
|---|---|
| Title | Applying the Uncertainty Principle to Single Particle Interactions |
| Read in full | Link to paper |
| Author(s) | Richard Oldani |
| Keywords | uncertainty, indeterminacy |
| Published | 2004 |
| Journal | Physics Essays |
| Volume | 17 |
| Number | 1 |
| No. of pages | 5 |
Read the full paper here
Abstract
Existing derivations of uncertainty for single particle interactions violate complementarity because they require that the photon exhibit wave and particle behavior simultaneously; and thus singularly. In order to restore physical consistency to quantum theory a model of the photon is proposed having spatial extension equal to the wavelength. As a result uncertainty and indeterminacy must be assigned independent meanings. Uncertainty describes the limit in measurability for instantaneous exchanges of momentum and is due to a photon's particle properties. It is causal in origin and provides a model for the kinematics of quantum theory. Indeterminacy, on the other hand, is statistical in nature and is attributed to the exchange of momentum by time-averaged fields. The need for two limitations on measurability is seen as an extension of the duality principle to measurement theory