Corpuscular properties

The first consistent attempt to unify quantum theory and relativity came after Schrddinger s and Heisenberg s work in 1925 and 1926 produced the rules for the quantum mechanical description of nonrelativistic systems of point particles. Mention should be made of the fact that in these developments de Broglie s hypothesis attributing wave-corpuscular properties to all matter played an important role. Central to this hypothesis are the relations between particle and wave properties E — hv and p = Ilk, which de Broglie advanced on the basis of relativistic dynamics. 

Quantum theory started as an explanation of electromagnetic effects (black-body radiation) in terms of corpuscular properties of light, expressed... 

Planck s constant h) immutable number relating particle energy, a corpuscular property, to wavelength, a wave property, in quantum physics pulsar neutron star with a high magnetic field, emitting narrow beams of radiation, rather like a lighthouse... 

A fundamental paradox in the nature of electromagnetic radiation, to some extent apparent even in the earliest scientific studies by Newton and others, is that it exhibits not just wave-like but also particle-like (corpuscular) properties, and both prove to be of key importance in spectroscopy. In particular, it is only through the association of discrete units of energy with electromagnetic radiation of any given frequency that we can properly understand atomic and molecular transitions and the appearance of spectra. 

The Erench physicist Louis de Broglie proposed in 1924 that not only light but all matter has a dual nature and possesses both wave and corpuscular properties. He reasoned that there should be symmetry in nature If a radiant corpuscle—-that is, a photon—has a frequency and a wavelength and therefore has wave properties, why should not a material particle also have wave properties (p. 429, original italics). .. When de Broglie first published his wave theory of matter, there was no experimental evidence to support his bold hypothesis. Within three years, however, two different experiments had been performed that demonstrated the diffraction of a beam of electrons. Clinton J. Davisson, assisted by L. H. Germer,. .. observed the diffraction of electrons when a beam of electrons was directed at a nickel crystal (Segal 1989, p. 431, underlined added). 

It is quite natural to ask the question what do the microparticles (electrons, neutrons, etc.), on one side, and the phonons on the other represent The modem development of science enables it to be stated that all micro-objects simultaneously possess a set of properties, among which both wave and corpuscular properties are equally present, and they reveal them depending on the conditions to which an experimenter subjects them. This statement is the essence of corpuscular-wave dualism, which in turn is the basis of quantum mechanics. 

In the late nineteenth century, a whole set of experiments progressively lead to the conclusion that classical physics, namely, Newtonian mechanics, thermodynamics, and nascent electromagnetism, were unable to explain empirical evidence gathered by experimentalists. Scientists of that time were unable to conciliate two apparent contradictory aspects exhibited by radiation and matter. Some experiments demonstrated that light behaved like a wave, while others showed a rather corpuscular nature. On the other hand, electrons, protons, and the other massive particles would manifest wave-like properties in certain experimental conditions. 

In 1668, Boyle left Oxford to live with his sister s family in London, but two years later (at age 42), he suffered a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed and only partially able to resume scientific interactions. He was a founding member of the Royal Society and was offered its presidency, but declined out of religious scruples concerning the necessary oaths. He continued to advocate strongly on behalf of a corpuscular (atomistic) and kinetic theory of gas properties and the nature of heat (in opposition, for example, to Newton and Lavoisier). Although he continued to produce a steady stream of publications, his health continued to decline until his death in 1691, one week after that of the sister with whom he had lived out the last decades of life. 

The concept of dual character of light is particularly relevant to the discussion of optical sensors. In this introductory section, the basic quantized (corpuscular) aspects of light as they relate to optical sensors are reviewed first, followed by a brief review of physics of optical waveguides and optical fibers which rely on wavelike (continuous) properties of light. Detailed information can be found in analytical (e.g., Skoog et al., 1998) and specialized textbooks (e.g., Hollas, 2004). 

Particle asymmetry is a factor of considerable importance in determining the overall properties (especially those of a mechanical nature) of colloidal systems. Roughly speaking, colloidal particles can be classified according to shape as corpuscular, laminar or linear (see, for example, the electron micrographs in Figure 3.2). The exact shape may be complex but, to a first approximation, the particles can often be treated theoretically in terms of models which have relatively simple shapes (Figure 1.1). 

An electron has corpuscular and wave properties, where the wavelength of the electron is related to its velocity, v, as follows ... 

Boyle isolated the distinctive properties of chemists principles to devise a corpuscular explanation. For example, the two agreed-upon... 

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