Recent content by FieldIntensity

Is not the net momentum of two particles moving in opposite directions zero? Doesn't this satisfy the conservation of momentum? As for virtual particles, are there not instances where they can become real? For example, when an electric field is strong enough, one half of a virtual pair may...

That is the classical view of the vacuum. Quantum mechanics puts a whole new spin on it. The quantum vacuum is very dynamic and fluid.

OK, I've snipped the entire thing to make a general statement. First, thank you Zapper for all your responses to my question, and also thank you for pushing me to clarify the language of my question. That helps me understand what I am asking a little better, I think. Second, on semiconductors...

Opinions of ideas in "Not Even Wrong" The new book by Peter Woit, Not Even Wrong, gives a lengthy discussion as to why we should abandon string theory and move to more promising fields of study. He claims, and as far as I know correctly, that superstring theory has not made one single testable...

Can an e-p pair be created simply from field interactions rather than brute force collisions of atomic nuclei?

OK, now we are in the ball park of the question. What would it take to cause spontaneous positron emission (with an electron mate of course)? We currently do it by slamming electrons into targets, but that is rather nasty and ineffcient. Surely there is a configuration of fields of sufficient...

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I've posted a similar question to the high energy forum. As I understand it, LEDs emit photons when electrons and holes have sufficient energy to cross a particular "well". I'm sure this explanation is lacking in many key ways. Why can't we "tune" the gap to create electron-positron pairs and...