Thinking About Quantum Mechanics and Singularities

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I am sitting here at almost 3am watching Nova on PBS and the subject is Quantum Mechanics and a new 5th state of matter called a "Bose-Einstein Condensate". What it basically is is what happens to matter when it is within a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero (No one has actually achieved true absolute zero yet). Normal physics breaks down, light slows when put through it and the atoms become confused, essentially existing in all positions within the condensate at once. Now what occurred to me was that the properties of a B-E Condensate are somewhat similar to a quantum singularity as I understand it to be. Basically, a Quantum Singularity is what is at the bottom of a black hole and it is a place/thing that has a total break down of the normal laws of physics as we know them. Could they be one and the same? If so, is it not dangerous for physicists to try and create them? I mean, could we not create a black hole on earth with the potential to destroy all that is or has been within our sphere of knowledge? Given that the Condensate is essentially a state of matter where duplicates of atoms coexist, is it not possible that time has also broken down within this state and thus allowing the coexistence due to the non-existence of the time needed to travel within the condensate? I mean, singularities are a part of something that warps the space-time continuum and sucks in light plus breaks down matter, so am I really that far off? Sorry if I am way off base here as I have not taken Physics in College yet and just know what I have learned for my own enjoyment.

 

[KrisW]

I think you worry too much! You need to turn off the sci-fi channel more and go to sleep in the middle of the night. I know, you were watching PBS (dangerous, in my opinion) and not sci-fi. PBS is putting questions in your mind, but the sci-fi channel is allowing your imagination to take hold and run.

I prefer drinking, myself, it seems to help with all manner of scientific questions and postulations!

 

[megaladon6]

what happens at/near the 0*k point is loss of atomic cohesion. light slows down enough that it turns into matter (elesctrons and positrons) and atoms lose their electrons and the nucleus may fall apart due to the lack of strong and weak nuclear forces. in other words everything turns into a chevy rocker panel. it is only dangerous in that you now have a major amount of free electrons and the "soup" would be highly polarized creating a strong magnetic field. the gravitational field would be normal because density has not significantly increased over that of a hyper-solid. if you lost containment and everything spontaniously went to 0*c you'd just get a light show from the electron to photon conversion.
now a quantum singularity is an amazing little bit of physics. take the sun when it's righ on the point of super nova. basically everything is at a maximum energy state and moving FAST. now hyper-condense it to the size of a pea. you've just eliminated all the free space between the nucleus and the electrons. the density is so high that it's gravitational field is beyond exponentially higher than before. it actually turns the core into a 2 dimensional point. (mathmatical point) or singularity. this is what sucks in and speeds up light. it is also what distorts space-time.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Thinking, questioning, etc. is what I do for fun. I watch almost all educational programming ( except for some Anime on Adult Swim) and absolutely no broadcast TV. I watch: PBS, Discovery, TLC, National Geographic Channel, History Channel, Power Block on Spike, etc. and use the internet to further expand my knowledge about subjects the TV only scratches the surface of. As for drinking, I find it annoying to me because it makes it harder to think and gets me nowhere I wish to be. I am actually looking forward to taking Calculus and Physics in college because it will increase the number of data points I can reference in my every day thought processes.

Now I tried "smoking" at one point (stupid decision, don't do so any longer) and it expanded my ability to cogitate to some degree, but then that went away and so did my desire for it. Now I have a prescription for Adderoll that helps me with my ADD. I am now a good student and can think even more.

 

[megaladon6]

i'm naming you kuato from total recal

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

what happens at/near the 0*k point is loss of atomic cohesion. light slows down enough that it turns into matter (elesctrons and positrons) and atoms lose their electrons and the nucleus may fall apart due to the lack of strong and weak nuclear forces. in other words everything turns into a chevy rocker panel. it is only dangerous in that you now have a major amount of free electrons and the "soup" would be highly polarized creating a strong magnetic field. the gravitational field would be normal because density has not significantly increased over that of a hyper-solid. if you lost containment and everything spontaniously went to 0*c you'd just get a light show from the electron to photon conversion.
now a quantum singularity is an amazing little bit of physics. take the sun when it's righ on the point of super nova. basically everything is at a maximum energy state and moving FAST. now hyper-condense it to the size of a pea. you've just eliminated all the free space between the nucleus and the electrons. the density is so high that it's gravitational field is beyond exponentially higher than before. it actually turns the core into a 2 dimensional point. (mathmatical point) or singularity. this is what sucks in and speeds up light. it is also what distorts space-time.

I had never thought of a singularity that way before. The thought of it existing as a 2 dimensional point in essentially a 4 dimensional (length, width, height, time) universe (discounting the 12+ dimensional universe/multiverse theories in super string theory) is very interesting. However, why would the electrons convert to photons and escape if the speed of movement is essentially zero, and what would then happen if the temperature increased to, say, 10k and everything went out of the BEC state? What kind of matter is left and would it then switch to a different kind of matter, much like radioactive decay? Again I admit my ignorance in theoretical and practical physics. ( I can't wait till fall when I get to take Physics I !)

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I'll also say that I have lots of time to think because the opposite sex does not like me too much. The rare time I find someone I like, the favor is not returned so, I am alone all the time with little to do. I don't go to bars because I don't drink, I can't dance so I don't go to clubs, etc. It gets depressing.

 

[megaladon6]

why would the electrons convert to photons and escape if the speed of movement is essentially zero

i was saying that would happen if you lost containment and the temp rose. i'm not sure exactly what would happen other than that. it's very likely that the free electrons would combine with the protons and form neutrons. then the the nuclear forces would clump the neutrons together. or the nuclear forces might take over first and reform the protons and neutrons and then the electron's resume their orbits.