Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

I asked a genuine question, and given that I a) rarely use FB and b) don't put their buttons on websites in my line of work, was curious about FBs guidelines. Will delete the questions since it seems to be catching me lots of bad karma.

Re: Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

#6

Post by dvdkhlng » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 10:35 AM UTC

darkmighty wrote: post #4

Can anyone ascertain how much those claims are press release hype?

I only skimmed the article, but claiming discovery of a "new particle" seems extremly bogus. According to wikipedia [1], the cited paper merely demonstrates the finding of a quasi-particle [3] that behaves like a Weyl Fermion.

Claiming to have found a new particle in that case is like claiming that magnetic monopoles actually exist based on these findings [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinor#Terminology_in_physics

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_ice#cite_note-MonopoleRev...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasiparticle

Re: Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

#7

Post by yk » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 11:07 AM UTC

Someone should perhaps point out, that the article talks about quasiparticles. Quasiparticles are a bit similar to the particle aspect of a quantum mechanical wave. So for example deformations of the lattice of an crystal are sound waves, but it is also possible to look at the deformations as a field and then quantize the field. Excitations of this field look suspiciously similar to a particle, as in they are produced by the same mathematical formalism. The particles associated with excitations of the electro-magnetic field are photons, and the particles associated with excitations of this deformation field are called phonons. The difference is, that the electro magnetic field is a fundamental aspect of nature, while the deformation field only describes deformations of a given crystal and therefore photons are fundamental particles, while phonons are quasi particles.

Something similar happens in this discovery, there is some aspect of the dynamic in the crystal that can be described as a Weyl spinor. But that does not mean, that a new fundamental particle is discovered, it just means that a new dynamic in a crystal is observed. ( Which is of course cool in its own right, and probably technologically more relevant than a new fundamental particle.)

Re: Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

#8

Post by fsloth » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 11:21 AM UTC

yk wrote: post #7

Someone should perhaps point out, that the article talks about quasiparticles. Quasiparticles are a bit similar to the particle aspect of a quantum mechanical wave. So for example deformations of the lattice of an crystal are sound waves, but it is also possible to look at the deformations as a field and then quantize the field. Excitations of this field look suspiciously similar to a particle, as in they are produce…

Thanks, great summary. To translate to non-physicists: It quacks like a particle, it walks like a particle but it's not really a particle. Like counting stones or apples, the both can be understood in terms of similar arithmetic. Same here, only more maths. And, those properties that were observed, may come in handy.

Re: Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

#9

Post by acjohnson55 » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 11:42 AM UTC

fsloth wrote: post #8

yk wrote: post #7

Someone should perhaps point out, that the article talks about quasiparticles. Quasiparticles are a bit similar to the particle aspect of a quantum mechanical wave. So for example deformations of the lattice of an crystal are sound waves, but it is also possible to look at the deformations as a field and then quantize the field. Excitations of this field look suspiciously similar to a particle, as in they are produce…

Thanks, great summary. To translate to non-physicists: It quacks like a particle, it walks like a particle but it's not really a particle. Like counting stones or apples, the both can be understood in terms of similar arithmetic. Same here, only more maths. And, those properties that were observed, may come in handy.

But what is a "real" particle anyway?

Re: Massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics discovered

#10

Post by Conjoiner » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 11:48 AM UTC

acjohnson55 wrote: post #9

fsloth wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, great summary. To translate to non-physicists: It quacks like a particle, it walks like a particle but it's not really a particle. Like counting stones or apples, the both can be understood in terms of similar arithmetic. Same here, only more maths. And, those properties that were observed, may come in handy.

But what is a "real" particle anyway?

The difference between a bullet made of real particles and one made of math is that the real one can kill you.