What happens to the Kinetic Energy during tunneling?

[prtcool]

I have seen the mathematical proof of how can a particle tunnel through a barrier of higher potential energy but I was unable to understand what happens to the particle during its motion in the barrier. Can you help me?

Can this be one of the probable mechanism of teleportation on which I can work?

Please help!

 

[judonight]

+1

I am really struggling understanding what happens 'inside the barrier' also...

 

[Hurkyl]

I've found these descriptions of the wavefunction useful:

http://www.nhn.ou.edu/~kieran/reuhome/vizqm/7bound.htm
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/pbox.html

One thing to understand, though: you can't think of quantum mechanics as if it was simply little classical particles zipping around in weird ways.

 

[prtcool]

Thanks for helping me out! I have already properly understood the mathematics behind tunneling and don't doubt its accuracy. My Physics Professor always reminds us that quantum is not at all like classical physics but I still wished to know if in higher quantum physics( I am a beginner), there a topic regarding energy transitions during tunneling? Or is there a theoretical or even philosophical explanation to it.

 

[ZapperZ]

Thanks for helping me out! I have already properly understood the mathematics behind tunneling and don't doubt its accuracy. My Physics Professor always reminds us that quantum is not at all like classical physics but I still wished to know if in higher quantum physics( I am a beginner), there a topic regarding energy transitions during tunneling? Or is there a theoretical or even philosophical explanation to it.

What "energy transitions" during tunneling? In ballistic/elastic tunneling, there's no "energy transition" during tunneling.

I often wish that people would show either specific example, or point exactly where in the theoretical description is the issue. It would make it SO much clearer.

Zz.

 

[prtcool]

What "energy transitions" during tunneling? In ballistic/elastic tunneling, there's no "energy transition" during tunneling.

I often wish that people would show either specific example, or point exactly where in the theoretical description is the issue. It would make it SO much clearer.

Zz.

Thanks for responding to my post, sir. I just wished to know that when there exists a probability of finding an electron in the barrier and beyond it then as E<V so what as such happens to the particle that it crosses the barrier. Is it because, at that moment the particle behaves like a wave and just like any other optical phenomenon it gets transmitted through the barrier considering it to be medium of higher refractive index. (For a person of your seniority if the question seems to be silly please still answer this question and clarify my doubts. I am doing my first course in Quantum Physics and am finding the course really interesting! )

 

[ZapperZ]

Thanks for responding to my post, sir. I just wished to know that when there exists a probability of finding an electron in the barrier and beyond it then as E<V so what as such happens to the particle that it crosses the barrier. Is it because, at that moment the particle behaves like a wave and just like any other optical phenomenon it gets transmitted through the barrier considering it to be medium of higher refractive index. (For a person of your seniority if the question seems to be silly please still answer this question and clarify my doubts. I am doing my first course in Quantum Physics and am finding the course really interesting! )

You will note that at "ALL MOMENTS", not just within the barrier, the particle is being described by the solution to the Schrödinger equation. There's really nothing special about the particle inside the barrier. You still solve the SAME equation. If you can put a detector inside the barrier, you CAN detect it the same way as you would outside the barrier. There is absolutely nothing unique about being inside the barrier.

Zz.

 

[prtcool]

You will note that at "ALL MOMENTS", not just within the barrier, the particle is being described by the solution to the Schrödinger equation. There's really nothing special about the particle inside the barrier. You still solve the SAME equation. If you can put a detector inside the barrier, you CAN detect it the same way as you would outside the barrier. There is absolutely nothing unique about being inside the barrier.

Zz.

Having a very deep rooted foundation of clasical physics in my school level I give a lot of significance to the KE. In Quantum Physics should we neglect the concern regarding -ve KE if the solution of the wave equation suggests so.

If so why should I do that. Becuse the electron is being described as a wave?

 

[ZapperZ]

Since this appears to be a more general issue rather than simply "tunneling", I'll be tacky and point out to you a previous essay that I've written on this.

http://physicsandphysicists.blogspot.com/2006/09/why-is-quantum-mechanics-so-difficult.html

Zz.

 

[prtcool]

Thanks sir, for the clarification. The article you wrote was really great! I think my question was just a hangover of the classical mechanics! The article has really helmed me in coming out of the hangover.

 

[ZapperZ]

Thanks sir, for the clarification. The article you wrote was really great! I think my question was just a hangover of the classical mechanics! The article has really helmed me in coming out of the hangover.

Keep in mind that if, after you have learned classical mechanics, and you did not find quantum mechanics to be really "weird", then you either haven't understood classical mechanics, or haven't learned quantum mechanics, or both. So the fact that you found quantum mechanics a bit strange is a GOOD THING. It means that you were paying attention.

Hopefully, after you've understood more of it, and see how successful it is, QM will become more familiar and less foreign to you. Whether it becomes less "weird" is a matter of preferences.

Zz.