Imaging of spatial many-body wave functions via linear momentum measurements

Peer C Fechner1, Hanspeter Helm

  • 1Department of Molecular and Optical Physics, Freiburg University, Hermann-Herder-Str.3, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. peer.fechner@physik.uni-freiburg.de.

Related Concept Videos

Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle01:20

Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle

Linear momentum is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the motion of an object. It is a vector quantity, having a magnitude equal to the product of its mass and its velocity, and direction along the object's velocity. On the other hand, linear impulse, also known as momentum impulse, is a concept in physics related to the change in the linear momentum of an object. Impulse is a vector quantity defined as the product of force and the time over which the force is applied.
Delving into...
Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles01:28

Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles

In the dynamic realm of billiards, a fascinating interplay of forces governs the motion of cue balls and stationary balls. When the cue ball collides with a stationary ball, linear momentum is exchanged. The cue ball imparts a fraction of its linear momentum to the stationary ball, causing the cue ball to decelerate while initiating the motion of the stationary ball.
The impulsive force at play during this interaction is of extremely short duration, rendering its impulse negligible. When...
Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a System of Particles01:21

Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a System of Particles

In the context of a system of particles moving relative to an inertial frame of reference, the equation of motion is a crucial tool for understanding the dynamics of the system. This equation, which accounts for external forces acting on each particle, plays a fundamental role in describing the system's behavior.
Notably, internal forces between particles, occurring in equal and opposite collinear pairs, cancel out and are not part of the equation of motion. This exclusion simplifies the...
Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle: Problem Solving01:23

Principle of Linear Impulse and Momentum for a Single Particle: Problem Solving

Consider a wooden box and a cylinder of known masses m1 and m2, respectively, hanging from a ceiling with the help of a massless pulley system.
Impulse-Momentum Theorem00:49

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

The total change in the motion of an object is proportional to the total force vector acting on it and the time over which it acts. This product is called impulse, a vector quantity with the same direction as the total force acting on the object.
By writing Newton's second law of motion in terms of the momentum of an object and the external force acting on it, and simultaneously using the definition of the impulse vector, it can be shown that the total impulse on an object is equal to its net...
Momentum And Radiation Pressure01:20

Momentum And Radiation Pressure

An object absorbing an electromagnetic wave would experience a force in the direction of propagation of the wave. This force occurs because electromagnetic waves contain and transport momentum. The force accounts for the wave's radiation pressure exerted on the object. Maxwell's prediction was confirmed in 1903 by Nichols and Hull by precisely measuring radiation pressures with a torsion balance. The measuring instrument had mirrors suspended from a fiber kept inside a glass container. Nichols...