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Originally posted by Biigs
reply to post by FOXMULDER147
i think the piont is that there is not such thing as a true vaccuum
Originally posted by charles1952
I don't know how significant this part of the article is:
What happens during the experiment is that the "mirror" transfers some of its kinetic energy to virtual photons, which helps them to materialise. According to quantum mechanics, there are many different types of virtual particles in vacuum, as mentioned earlier. Göran Johansson, Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics, explains that the reason why photons appear in the experiment is that they lack mass.
"Relatively little energy is therefore required in order to excite them out of their virtual state. In principle, one could also create other particles from vacuum, such as electrons or protons, but that would require a lot more energy."
That seems as though the experimenters are putting energy into the vacuum, and depending on how much they put in, they could get any kind of particle to come out. Doesn't that mean that they aren't getting energy from nothing and the system is not an energy vacuum?
Please feel free to point out my obvious mistakes, as I know nothing about the sciences.
Originally posted by FOXMULDER147
The experiment is based on one of the most counterintuitive, yet, one of the most important principles in quantum mechanics: that vacuum is by no means empty nothingness. In fact, the vacuum is full of various particles that are continuously fluctuating in and out of existence.
Then by definition it's not a vacuum. Next...
Originally posted by Fractured.Facade
reply to post by Maxmars
If particles are continuously "fluctuating in and out of existence"
When they are not in existence, where are they?