Is it possible to convert light into matter?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the theoretical possibility of converting light into matter, exploring the implications and challenges of such a process. Participants consider various aspects, including energy requirements, atomic structure, and the feasibility of creating matter from energy, while also touching on related concepts like atomic explosions and the nature of atoms.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose the idea of a machine that could convert light into matter, suggesting it could revolutionize construction and material creation.
  • Others argue that creating matter from light requires photons of significant energy, specifically gamma rays, which are not easily accessible.
  • Concerns are raised about the immense energy needed to produce even small amounts of matter, referencing the energy released in atomic explosions and the small fraction of mass converted to energy in such events.
  • Some participants discuss the challenges of assembling particles into recognizable matter, suggesting that the process is far from feasible with current technology.
  • Questions are posed regarding the nature of atoms, including whether they are made of smaller components and the implications of atoms "blinking" in and out of existence.
  • There is mention of the "information paradox" in relation to energy and matter conversion, indicating a broader theoretical context for the discussion.
  • Some participants speculate about the need for new physics or energy sources, such as zero-point energy, to make such conversions practical.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with no consensus on the feasibility of converting light into matter. While some acknowledge the theoretical possibility, others emphasize the significant challenges and energy requirements involved, leading to an unresolved discussion.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in current understanding of energy-matter conversion and the assumptions underlying various claims about atomic structure and energy sources. There are unresolved questions regarding the nature of mass and energy in the context of atomic reactions.

  • #31
if a bond is not a force, what is it?
 
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  • #32
A 'bond' is a condition in which two particles are energetically bound together. That's about all you can say.

The reason it's not a force is simple: forces accelerate things. If you have two stationary hydrogen atoms bound together, neither is moving -- so the net force on both must be zero.

- Warren
 
  • #33
chroot said:
A 'bond' is a condition in which two particles are energetically bound together. That's about all you can say.

The reason it's not a force is simple: forces accelerate things. If you have two stationary hydrogen atoms bound together, neither is moving -- so the net force on both must be zero.

- Warren

keep in mind though that when the net force is zero, this does not mean there is no force. The mass of an atomic nucleus is determened by the sum of the mass of the constituent particles plus the mass equivalent to the binding energy between them...

A bound is just a state of potential energy associated with it. This energy is the binding energy. In GTR there even is no distinction between those kinds of energy...
regards
marlon
 
  • #34
chroot said:
A 'bond' is a condition in which two particles are energetically bound together. That's about all you can say.

The reason it's not a force is simple: forces accelerate things. If you have two stationary hydrogen atoms bound together, neither is moving -- so the net force on both must be zero.

- Warren
I would like to expand on this slightly. A bond is a state of stable equilibrium. For example, if you take a molecule of two atoms, and move those atoms a little closer or a little further away, a force would appear which would strive to return the molecule to its original state. The state of equilibrium involves a form of internal energy we call "binding energy" or "bond energy", and this energy contributes to the mass of the system.
 
  • #35
k, thanx, so this equilibrium has a mass?
 
  • #36
Nenad, reread the last sentence of my previous post:
alpha_wolf said:
The state of equilibrium involves a form of internal energy we call "binding energy" or "bond energy", and this energy contributes to the mass of the system.
A state of equllibrium is just a state - a certain configuration that the system can achieve. It is not an actual physical entity like a particle or similar. So no, the equillibrium itself does not have mass. The mass contribution comes from the energy that is associated with that configuration of the system.

I hope this doesn't confuse you even further. Perhaps someone else can explain this better...
 
  • #37
Well, I completely forgot I posted this, so that's why I haven't posted back. First, I would like to ask how does the configuration of the atom, when it's bonded, make it more stable? Isn't it stable already? There are equal electrons as protons, wouldn't that make it stable, so how would a bond make it more stable?
E = MC^2 means that energy equals mass at the speed of light squared, so if you were to slow light down, wouldn't that make matter? I also read about an expirement to where two electro-magnetic waves collided, and made an electron and a positron. I was thinking maybe if more energy were to collide at the same time, that it might create a proton and an anti-proton. With this, you could add an amount of energy equal to a nuetrino and make a nuetron. If you did all this, and somehow got rid of the ant-matter before it collided with the matter, you might be able to make somethisg. The biggest problem would be making a HUGE computer, that could compute all of this.
I would also like to know why the squared is in E = MC^2.
 
  • #38
Back to Pair-Production!

Dual Op Amp said:
Well, I completely forgot I posted this, so that's why I haven't posted back.
I was thinking maybe if more energy were to collide at the same time, that it might create a proton and an anti-proton. .

I believe that your premise that two gamma photons collide to form an electron and a positron is better presented, as elsewhere in this string, as the production of such a pair that occurs when a 1.022 MeV gamma photon impinges on matter. That that energy is not only the threshold (where the photo-electric effect becomes the pair-productin phenomenon) but also the quantum mass unit . Experiment has shown that if the gamma photon energy is, say, 10 MeV, 9 pair-production events occur, one after another, leaving 0.2 MeV for the production of photo-electrons or Compton events. Of course that depends on whether or not the photon remains in the matter; and it is independent of whether the matter is real or anti-matter.

Dr. Franz Gross, a Feynman diagram disciple, tried vainly to show on paper that a gamma photon of some appropriate energy could "theoretically" create a +muon -muon pair. The problem was that the photon had already been eaten up making e+e- pairs. Cheers, Jim
 
  • #39
ok i am a kid of 16 and i am really wanting to learn as much about this as i can so if anyone can teach me all they know like pass on there knowledge to someone i know no one has a resin to but I am willing to do what it takes and i don't care if people say anything is impossible because i love to prove things wrong or right and I am willing to try and try and try tell i get it right even if i get it wrong i still learn something big from it all so if anyone knows anything or anyone that is willing to help me on line or if you live in Lawton Oklahoma that would id be greatful to you and please don't call me stupid for trying and if you do lol it won't get to me
 
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