Can a particle cause a Bose-Einstein condensate to wave?

In summary: So, in summary, the fluid used in the walking droplets experiments is not a Bose-Einstein condensate and there is no evidence to suggest that a chaotic Bose-Einstein condensate could explain the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics or the results of a double slit experiment.
  • #1
Fred Thompson
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Could a particle move through and displace a Bose-Einstein condensate, causing it to wave?
 
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  • #2
Could the fluid described in the following articles be a Bose-Einstein condensate?

Fluid mechanics suggests alternative to quantum orthodoxy

The fluidic pilot-wave system is also chaotic. It’s impossible to measure a bouncing droplet’s position accurately enough to predict its trajectory very far into the future. But in a recent series of papers, Bush, MIT professor of applied mathematics Ruben Rosales, and graduate students Anand Oza and Dan Harris applied their pilot-wave theory to show how chaotic pilot-wave dynamics leads to the quantumlike statistics observed in their experiments.​

When Fluid Dynamics Mimic Quantum Mechanics

If you have a system that is deterministic and is what we call in the business ‘chaotic,’ or sensitive to initial conditions, sensitive to perturbations, then it can behave probabilistically,” Milewski continues. “Experiments like this weren’t available to the giants of quantum mechanics. They also didn’t know anything about chaos. Suppose these guys — who were puzzled by why the world behaves in this strange probabilistic way — actually had access to experiments like this and had the knowledge of chaos, would they have come up with an equivalent, deterministic theory of quantum mechanics, which is not the current one? That’s what I find exciting from the quantum perspective.​
 
  • #3
These fluid-drop experiments have been discussed in many previous threads here.

They are an analogy for Bohmian mechanics, and they're a really neat visual aid. But an analogy will only go so far; the fluid is not a Bose-Einstein condensate and the behavior it displays is only superficially similar to the behavior of quantum particles.
 
  • #4
They're actually an analogy for de Broglie's double solution theory, not Bohmian mechanics. And I'm not asking if the fluid used in the walking droplets experiments is a Bose-Einstein condensate. The fluid is a silicon substrate. What I am asking is if a particle were to move through a Bose-Einstein condensate would it displace it, causing it to wave?
 
  • #5
Fred Thompson said:
Could the fluid described in the following articles be a Bose-Einstein condensate?

From the first article: In the experiments reported in PRE, the researchers mounted a shallow tray with a circular depression in it on a vibrating stand. They filled the tray with a silicone oil and began vibrating it at a rate just below that required to produce surface waves.

I've looked through the paper and I see no mention of it being a BE condensate, so it appears to be just a normal fluid.

As to the question in your original post, I cannot provide an accurate answer. I would assume that it would generate some kind of disturbance, but I don't know how that's treated in a BE condensate.
 
  • #6
My second post wasn't clear. I was referring to the underlying physical phenomenon which leads to the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. I'm asking if the underlying physical 'stuff' which leads to the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics could be a chaotic Bose-Einstein condensate. I'm then asking if this Bose-Einstein condensate could also be what waves in a double slit experiment.
 
  • #7
Nothing in the paper even remotely suggests such an idea.
 

1. What is a Bose-Einstein condensate?

A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that occurs when a group of bosons (particles with integer spin) are cooled to near absolute zero, causing them to lose their individual identities and behave as a single quantum entity.

2. How does a particle cause a Bose-Einstein condensate to wave?

In a BEC, the particles are in the same quantum state, meaning they all occupy the same energy level. When an external force is applied, such as shaking or tilting the BEC, it causes the particles to oscillate in unison, creating a wave-like behavior.

3. What types of particles can form a Bose-Einstein condensate?

Any particles that have integer spin can potentially form a BEC, such as photons, atoms, and certain types of molecules. However, the conditions required for a BEC to form vary depending on the type of particle.

4. Can a Bose-Einstein condensate only exist at extremely low temperatures?

Yes, the formation of a BEC requires extremely low temperatures, typically close to absolute zero (-273.15°C or -459.67°F). This is because at higher temperatures, the particles have too much energy to be confined to the same quantum state.

5. What are some potential applications of Bose-Einstein condensates?

BECs have potential applications in fields such as quantum computing, precision measurements, and superfluidity. They can also be used to study fundamental physics and simulate complex systems that are difficult to observe in the laboratory.

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