Length Contraction: Can Fundamental Particles Contract?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the concept of length contraction as it applies to fundamental particles such as electrons, quarks, and protons. Participants explore how length contraction affects these particles in the context of relativistic motion and its implications for atomic structures, particularly in hydrogen atoms.

Discussion Character

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

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether fundamental particles contract under length contraction, suggesting that since objects are composed of particles, the contraction should be explained in terms of these particles.
  • Another participant asserts that all particles contract as observed by an observer moving relative to them, but in their own frame of reference, they are not "squashed."
  • A follow-up inquiry seeks clarification on how traveling particles, such as electrons in a hydrogen atom, appear in the observer's frame and how this affects the wavefunction and position expectation value of the electron.
  • One participant responds that the wave function does not change, but rather the x- and t-coordinates do, suggesting a method to calculate the wave function in the rest frame and transform it to the observer's frame.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of length contraction for fundamental particles and the behavior of wavefunctions in relativistic contexts. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of how these concepts interrelate.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about the nature of particles and the transformations of wavefunctions, which are not fully explored or resolved.

touqra
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If the length of an object could contract under length contraction, what about fundamental particles, like electrons, quarks, protons, etc? After all, an object is made up of a lattice/group of particles.
 
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They all contract as observed by an observer moving relative to them.

The length-contraction/time-dilation is an artifact of that observer's space-time reference system. In their own frame of reference the "electrons, quarks, protons, etc" are not being squashed!

Garth
 
Garth said:
They all contract as observed by an observer moving relative to them.
The length-contraction/time-dilation is an artifact of that observer's space-time reference system. In their own frame of reference the "electrons, quarks, protons, etc" are not being squashed!
Garth

Yes, that's what I wanted to ask. In our frame, we see length of objects being contracted. So, how about particles like protons, electrons etc? How would the traveling particles look like in our frame? After all, objects are made of particles. So, length contraction needs to be explained in terms of particles.

Secondly, consider a hydrogen atom, having an electron orbiting around a proton. This hydrogen atom travels close to speed of light, from what we observe. How does this change the wavefunction of the orbiting electron and also the electron's position expectation value?
 
It does not really change the wave function. It is the x- and t-coordinates that change. You could calculate the wave function in the rest frame and then transform the result to your frame.
 

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