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Wave-Particle Duality |
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On May 2005, a new theory, the "Spacetime Model", has been deposited and published. This theory, based on Einstein Spacetime, gives the solution to 53 enigmas of quantum mechanics, solves the mass and gravity enigmas, and unifies the electroweak, nuclear and gravitational forces in two generic forces. Following, is an abstract of the Spacetime Model concerning the Wave-Particle duality. The entire theory, a free 220 pages PDF document, may be downloaded from the website specified at the end of this webpage.
BackgroundMatter presents the particularity of having a wave and particle behavior. This phenomenon is known as the wave-particle duality, or Complementarity. However, this enigma, which was challenged by so many physicists, has still not been solved. This webpage solves the mystery of the wave-particle duality, or complementarity, from a scientific point of view, giving a rational and logical explanation to this enigma.
Current definition of the wave-particle dualityIt is generally accepted that the wave-particle duality is two different visions of a single object (fig. 1). Usually, physicists take a cylinder to explain duality. We observe either a rectangle or a circle depending on where we stand.
This metaphor is very interesting but it doesn't explain anything. It does not explain what really occurs on the particle level. As a physicist, it is necessary to leave this philosophical aspect to the philosophers and to try to solve this enigma in a scientific way, with a logical and rational explanation.
Scientific explanation of the wave-particle dualityTo understand the enigma of the wave-particle duality, let's take the following example. A toy boat is in the middle of a swimming pool. If you want to capsize it, you have two possibilities: to launch stones (particle concept) or to make waves (waves concept). Let's replace stones by a high-pressure water cleaner like a “Kärcher”. The water that flows out of the Kärcher can be considered as a particle and has all of its characteristics. In fact, we can capsize the small boat by pointing the Kärcher towards it. Now let's put the end of the gun in the water of the swimming pool. The water from the Kärcher, which was like a particle in the air, will also be like a particle in the water. This operation does not change the corpuscular nature of the water that flows out of the lance. We can then observe that the water, therefore like a particle, is transformed gradually into waves. If, moreover, we actuate the Kärcher for a short time, comparable to the action time of a particle, we can see that the small jet of water coming out from the gun becomes a single wave. Nature offers us identical situations: the water of Niagara Falls has a particle behavior during its fall and, once it has reached the river down below, the particles become "eddies", like waves. The opposite situation also exists: let's take the example of an almost empty swimming pool. If we make only one wave in the residual water, some amount of water will spill out of the evacuation valve. Thus, the wave is transformed into a short filament of water, or "particle". The water that comes out from the evacuation valve is obviously not a wave. Yet, it is the same water that, a few seconds ago, was a wave. It is usefull to formalize these observations and to define the basic principles of the wave-particle duality.
First principle of the wave-particle dualityWhen the particle and the wave are of a different matter, like stone and water, the enigma of wave-particle duality can't be solved. On the contrary, if the particle and the wave are of identical matter, like water/water in our example of the Kärcher, we see that the wave can be transformed into particles and the converse. However, in our example, water coming out from the gun can't be transformed into waves if the experiment is done in air. This transformation is possible only if the medium is also water. In other words, the medium must also be in the same composition as the particle and the wave. It is a necessity.
Note: Medium and waves are obviously of identical matter. However, we will separate them for teaching purposes. Sometimes, in quantum mechanics, we need the wave concept, for example when we are taking about 511 KeV gammas, and sometimes we need the medium concept. To summarize: Wave–Particle Duality appears only in this very particular situation where the wave, the particle and the medium are of identical matter. Figure 2 shows several possibilities of duality between water and different matters.
Thus, we have a duality in the following cases: water/water/water, air/air/air etc... If one of these three elements is different to the others, the duality can't be explained logically and becomes a true mystery. Therefore, the first principle of the Wave-Particle Duality is: Wave-particle duality can exist only if, and only if
have the same constitution.
Second principle of the wave-particle dualityAs we saw in the preceding example, the water of the Kärcher is transformed gradually, by intermediate phases, from a particle state into a wave state. Obviously, all these states of transition between particle and wave cannot coexist. It is either the one, or the other, but not several states together. Experimentations on the particles confirms this fact. Indeed, in quantum mechanics, the particle and the wave states never appear simultaneously. We can thus state a second principle of the wave-particle duality, resulting from experimentation, based on the “OR EXCLUSIVE” conjunction: When the conditions of the first principle of the wave-particle duality are met, the element concerned can exclusively take one, and only one, of the three following states:
Third principle of the wave-particle dualityAs we saw in the above example of “Kärcher”, the wave state appears only if the particle is moving. Otherwise, if the particle is motionless, it remains in a corpuscular state. This observation is covered by the second principle of the wave-particle duality, which may be condensed by the following definition: When the particle is moving, it becomes a wave This principle is very important. Indeed, it solves many enigmas of modern physics. For example, in accordance with experimentations, magnetism only appears when the charged particle is moving. The reason is quite simple to understand. When the particle is motionless, it is a corpuscle with a 1D spherical symmetry. When it is moving, the particle becomes a wave, and the 1D spherical symmetry disappears to be replaced by a 3D complex wave with magnetic (and spin?) components. The 1D electric field, which is only function of the radius "r", becomes a 3D electromagnetic field, which is also function of angles "θ" and "φ". In other words, electromagnetism is nothing but a consequence of the wave-particle duality.
Young SlitsMany physicists think that the photon isn't a particle per se but rather a mathematical object like a vector. We agree this point of view. Indeed, the photon, as a particle, has up to ten inconsistencies (see the Part 4 of the Spacetime Model - The URL of the Spacetime Model website is located at the end of this page). Ten inconsistencies are too much to be credible. Obviously, there is a "trick" concerning the photon. The above explanation of the wave-particle duality doesn't concern photons but fermions (quarks and leptons). In this way, the Young Slits enigma isn't directly related to the wave-particle duality but, rather, to the photon enigma. The solution of this mystery is given in Part 4 of the Spacetime Model. In the Young Slits, we must not make a confusion between the two enigmas, 1/ the wave-particle duality and 2/ the photon.
HistoryWhy, therefore, for over a century since 1905, has this enigma never been solved? Two reasons may explain this fact: 1. Same constitution The real question arising is: “Is there not the possibility that we are in the particular case where waves, particle and medium are of the same constitution?”. The answer is YES. There is perhaps a probability of 1 per 1000, but this possibility exists. Unfortunately, since 1905, physicists had difficulty solving this enigma because they have generalized a particular case. Indeed, the only way to explain logically the wave-particle duality is to consider that we are in the particular case where waves, particles and medium are of the same constitution. 2. The photon As stated, the wave-particle duality doesn't apply to mathematical objects as vectors. For example:
In other words, the Young Slits experimentation, which was at the origin of the wave-particle duality, isn't a good example to take since the photon is a vector, not a particle. Trying to solve the enigma of the wave-particle duality with the Young Slits experimentation is a wrong track.
ConfirmationWe have three indications in favour of this explanation:
ConclusionsThe wave-particle duality has always been regarded as a burden for the physicists because no one has been able to explain it rationally. This enigma is summarized as follows: We note a wave-particle duality, which is very strange. However, this is a normal situation since quantum mechanics is, by definition, illogical and irrational. The present explanation (the Spacetime Model) does not share this “theory of irrational” of quantum mechanics. It transforms this disadvantage into an advantage. Instead of regarding duality as a burden, it regards it as luck, the great luck to solve the mystery of matter. Indeed, this enigma, which is not a mystery anymore, is summarized as follows: Since we have a wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics, we can deduce from it that we are in the very particular case where waves, particles and medium have the same constitution. Thus, if we find the constitution of the medium, we will know the constitution of waves and particles (or the converse).
The Theory of EverythingThe explanation of the wave-particle duality described in this web page is a part of a global theory, called "The Spacetime Model", which explains up to 53 enigmas of quantum mechanics. This theory contains five parts:
This 220 pages PDF document is very easy to read. It is free, and you can download it from the following website: The entire document can also be downloaded on Google Books Other Author's Websites: Author: Jacky JEROME Last update: 22 May 2008.
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