Light waves, photons; sound waves, phonons; water waves, hydrons ?

In summary: I think it sounds like it would be a difficult task to create a water laser, but it's something to keep in mind.
  • #1
jetwaterluffy
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Light waves, photons; sound waves, phonons; water waves, "hydrons"?

Light waves are made of photons; sound waves are made of phonons; so are water waves made of "hydrons", and if so, how would they behave, and would it be possible to make a water laser or something similar based on these particles.
 
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  • #2


They're called "ripplons".

ripplon n. A quantized capillary-tension wave at the surface of a liquid
 
  • #3


jetwaterluffy said:
...and would it be possible to make a water laser or something similar...

We used to call them "squirt guns".

:smile:
 
  • #4


DrChinese said:
We used to call them "squirt guns".

:smile:

:biggrin:
Yep, that's what I meant.
I actually meant a laser within the medium, not of the medium. The light version of what you described would be a cathode ray, not a laser.
Thanks for the name, Bill. I tried searching "ripplon" and couldn't find anything acessable. Do you have any suggestions of any sites which might give an introdution to them?
 
  • #5


jetwaterluffy, Long-wavelength surface waves are driven by gravity, but as the wavelength gets shorter the effect of gravity becomes less important, and the waves are driven instead by surface tension (see "capillary wave" in Wikipedia). Quantized surface waves ("ripplons") are of this sort, and manifest themselves primarily in superfluid He, either on films or on the surface of bulk helium. I can only find this http://arxiv.org/abs/1003.4709" [Broken] online that talks about the subject, but it's pretty high powered.
 
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  • #6


Bill_K said:
jetwaterluffy, Long-wavelength surface waves are driven by gravity, but as the wavelength gets shorter the effect of gravity becomes less important, and the waves are driven instead by surface tension (see "capillary wave" in Wikipedia).

Yeah, I was thinking about this earlier when I was reading a quantum gravity book. It said gravitons were hard to model because of turbulence at high amplitudes and wavelengths. I thought, just like water waves. It also said the gravitons would affect themselves because they affect anything with energy. I thought, water waves are like this too, as their wavelength depends on depth, which they themselves affect. They said it was hard to model gravitons that are not made of short wavelengths and amplitudes. Now, from looking at your post, it appears ripplons are like this too. So maybe studying water waves might tell them something about gravity. This, with the idea of making a water laser, is what got me interested in "hydrons" to start with.
Thanks for the explanation and the paper!
 

1. What is a light wave and how does it travel?

A light wave is a type of electromagnetic radiation that can travel through empty space or through a medium. It consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the wave's travel.

2. What is a photon and how does it relate to light waves?

A photon is a particle of light that carries energy and momentum. It is the smallest unit of light and is responsible for transferring energy from one place to another. Light waves are composed of many photons traveling together.

3. What is a sound wave and how is it different from a light wave?

A sound wave is a type of mechanical wave that travels through a medium, such as air or water. It consists of compressions and rarefactions of the medium, which create areas of high and low pressure. Unlike light waves, sound waves require a medium to travel through.

4. What is a phonon and how does it relate to sound waves?

A phonon is a quantum of energy associated with a sound wave. It is the smallest unit of sound and is responsible for carrying the energy and momentum of the wave. Similar to photons, sound waves are composed of many phonons traveling together.

5. How are water waves different from light and sound waves?

Water waves are mechanical waves that travel through a medium, in this case, water. They are similar to sound waves in that they require a medium to travel through, but they are different from light waves in that they do not consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Instead, water waves are created by the up and down movement of the water's surface.

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