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/sci/ - Science & Math

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3532001 No.3532001 [Reply] [Original]

im reading a book about physics, and let me quote:
"There are also oddities concerning the geometrical properties of intrisic spin. If an ordinary spinning body is rotated in space through 360[degrees] it assumes a quantum state with measurably different physical properties. To return the particle to its initial state it is necessary to rotate it through 720[degrees]. In other words, a spin 1/2 particle requires double rotation relative to 'everyday' objects before it 'comes back to its starting state'. It is as though a spin 1/2 particle somehow sees a bigger world than we do. Our view of space is double-valued relative to that of the particle. What to us are two identical copies of the universe, one for each 360[degrees rotation, are to the particle distinct. Clearly the geometry of space is fundamentally and subtly different for spin 1/2 particle."

can someone direct me to some sites on the internet that can offer deeper insight into that topic?

>> No.3532014

"Spin", in this sense, doesn't mean what you think it means.

>> No.3532015

You need to understand group theory and representations to properly understand what this is about.

>> No.3532021

The main thing to realize here is that "spin", although the term is inspired by the angular momentum of spinning objects, does NOT imply that these particles are little objects that are actually spinning. This is not the case.

What they ARE is more complicated and harder to accurately describe.

>> No.3532027

>>3532014
i know it isnt spin
>>3532015
bawww, thats why i dont like reading about physics, to truly understand it, you need maths. fucking education, why so slow?

>> No.3532032
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3532032

>>3532015
>>3532027
These, unfortunately.

>> No.3532088
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3532088

>>3532027
mathematics helps you understand things for which you have no sense organs to gain first hand experience. It is a language for doing exactly this. Physics uses this language to allow facets of the unseeable natural world to be expressed, so that we can design experiments to find things out about it. What exactly do you hope to understand about physics without using this language?