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Re: [Phys-L] matter waves



On 05/05/2017 09:57 AM, Carl Mungan wrote:

Do you think there’s any physical significance to the phase velocity
of a matter wave?

No /direct/ significance that I know of.

If in contrast phase velocity is just a mathematical fiction, then I
guess there’s little point in arguing about why it has different
values depending on how you calculate it.

Referring to things with no direct physical significance, Niels Bohr
said we are /allowed/ to talk about them if we wish, but we are not
required to. There are scads of things in this category, e.g.
basis sets, gauge fields, reference frames, etc. etc. etc. They
drop out before you get to the end of the calculation. Whether
you find them useful at some intermediate stage is another question
entirely, and often a matter of personal preference.