Double-Slit experiment with a twist.

[steevey]

If I set up a double slit experiment the traditional way, with an electron gun shooting one at a time through a double slitted wall, BUT, I but a person who's BACK was facing the electron gun in between the last wall and the double slit wall, how would that effect the superposition of the electrons getting shot? Would it be like this?

 

 

 

 

 

or this?

 

 

 

 

Or this?

 

 

Edited January 10, 2011 by steevey

[swansont]

Id he has no "which path" information, then he should see an interference pattern. Though he will affect the pattern by the electrons needing to diffract around him to get to the screen.

[steevey]

Id he has no "which path" information, then he should see an interference pattern. Though he will affect the pattern by the electrons needing to diffract around him to get to the screen.

 

What if photons never hit the electrons to get to his eyes? What if there was no light, or at least no visible light? Since humans can't see other wavelengths of light, how would that person know the information for the electron is there even at the subconscious level?

Edited January 10, 2011 by steevey

[swansont]

What if photons never hit the electrons to get to his eyes? What if there was no light, or at least no visible light? Since humans can't see other wavelengths of light, how would that person know the information for the electron is there even at the subconscious level?

 

If which-path information exists, there will be no interference. Human consciousness doesn't enter into it.

[IM Egdall]

What if photons never hit the electrons to get to his eyes? What if there was no light, or at least no visible light? Since humans can't see other wavelengths of light, how would that person know the information for the electron is there even at the subconscious level?

 

I believe the rule is: If you can in principle tell which path the electron took, there is no interference. Say you use UV light and a UV detector. Human eye cannot see the UV light, but UV detector can. So no interference.

[steevey]

If which-path information exists, there will be no interference. Human consciousness doesn't enter into it.

 

 

So if nothing in the universe is observing the experiment in any way but a photons hits the electron and then leaves it in the form of infra-red light, then the wave function will still collapse? Because that's saying when nothing observes the wave state of a particle, the wave particle still for some reason collapses if anything carries information about the property of the particle.

 

I believe the rule is: If you can in principle tell which path the electron took, there is no interference. Say you use UV light and a UV detector. Human eye cannot see the UV light, but UV detector can. So no interference.

 

But what if there's no UV detector?

Edited January 11, 2011 by steevey

[islamuzlum]

why don't you just try it out (or inform scientist to do it) and see how it goes?

[steevey]

why don't you just try it out (or inform scientist to do it) and see how it goes?

 

Cause they don't want to waste their time on it.

[IM Egdall]

But what if there's no UV detector?

 

If there is nothing to detect the photon, it remains a wave. It only gets a definite location once it is detected.

[steevey]

If there is nothing to detect the photon, it remains a wave. It only gets a definite location once it is detected.

 

But I mean what if there's no UV detector WHILE the person is still there with their back facing the electron gun?