Physical Interpretation of a Wave Packet: Single Beat Wavepacket

[quasar987]

In my wave final there was a quetion that went "Write the most general expression for a wave paquet in terms of a Fourier integral and explain what this integral corresponds to physically."

What would have you answered to the second part of the question?

 

[dextercioby]

A continuous superposition (meaning integral wrt the wave vector) of (classical) harmonic waves (meaning complex exp of "i(kr-omega t)").

Daniel.

 

[pervect]

In my wave final there was a quetion that went "Write the most general expression for a wave paquet in terms of a Fourier integral and explain what this integral corresponds to physically."

What would have you answered to the second part of the question?

I'd probably have said that it corresponded to a system whose energy and momentum was "uncertain", because it was in a superposition of energy states (and a superposition of momentum states, too).

 

[Claude Bile]

A wave whose 'beats' are infinitely far apart (i.e. the wavepacket is comprised of a single 'beat')?

This was the interpretation offered by one of my lecturers when I was studying introductory QM at uni.

Claude.