Abstract
The wave function of a free particle is of infinite extent, which seems hard to reconcile with the notion of a point particle. One way to cope with this difficulty is to consider particles to be represented by “wave packets” with some degree of localization realized by superposing states of different frequencies in such a way that there is destructive interference outside a limited spatial range. Such “packets” cannot have a definite energy, and since the component states evolve independently, they are unstable and cannot maintain their form. From the viewpoint of quantum mechanics, each frequency can exist only in quanta of that frequency, which then interact independently. For purposes of interaction, then, the effect of localization is lost.
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© 1996 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
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Wallace, P.R. (1996). Can Wave Packets Be Particles?. In: Paradox Lost. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4014-3_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4014-3_19
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8468-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4014-3
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