I Experimenting with Spinor Rotations & Sign Changes

Click For Summary
A spinor, when rotated through 360 degrees, returns to its original direction but acquires a sign change, which is significant when comparing multiple spinors. This phase factor of -1 does not affect individual spinors but may influence interactions between them. The discussion raises the question of whether an experiment exists to observe this phase factor in electron interactions. While no such observation for electrons is noted, a notable experiment involving neutrons is referenced. The implications of spinor rotations and sign changes remain a topic of interest in quantum mechanics.
wnvl2
Messages
62
Reaction score
14
When a spinor is rotated through 360◦, it is returned to its original direction, but it also picks up an overall sign change. This sign has no consequence when spinors are examined one at a time, but it can be relevant when one spinor is compared with another. Is there an experiment to make an electron interact with another electron that has a fase factor of -1 because of that 'rotation'?
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Thread 'Angular Momentum Vector and Its Magnitude'

For the quantum state ##|l,m\rangle= |2,0\rangle## the z-component of angular momentum is zero and ##|L^2|=6 \hbar^2##. According to uncertainty it is impossible to determine the values of ##L_x, L_y, L_z## simultaneously. However, we know that ##L_x## and ## L_y##, like ##L_z##, get the values ##(-2,-1,0,1,2) \hbar##. In other words, for the state ##|2,0\rangle## we have ##\vec{L}=(L_x, L_y,0)## with ##L_x## and ## L_y## one of the values ##(-2,-1,0,1,2) \hbar##. But none of these...
View full post »

Similar threads

I How should we interpret the Möbius-strip image of spinors?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
I What's the relation between spinor space and SO(3) vector space?
  • · Replies 53 ·
2
Replies
53
Views
4K
I On the meaning and mathematics of rotating spin 1/2 particles
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
I Can Spinors Be Represented as Square Roots of Vectors in Clifford Algebra?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
I Interpreting ##A^{\mu}(x)|0\rangle## and ##\psi (x) |0\rangle##
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
I How to determine Spinor in Feynman diagram
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
I Understanding Spinor Rotations
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Phase Factor of Spinors (what they represent)
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
6K
I The standard model from loop quantum gravity via spinors octonions
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
5K
Spin 360 rotation - experiment
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K