3 ms·

Electrons split into two new particles, Holons and Spinons.

26 points by chaosmachine 17y ago

scythe 17y ago
The title is somewhat misleading; what's actually happening is that they finally observed spin-charge separation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinon
- chaosmachine 17y ago
  If the title is misleading, so is the article. A team of physicists from the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham have shown that electrons in narrow wires can divide into two new particles called spinons and a holons.
  - pbhjpbhj 17y ago
    The article is clearly simplifying. Whether one believes the particles actually exist or whether describing them as particles is simply a convenience probably relates to whether one believes in an actual multiverse or that the Copenhagen interpretation is simply a method of understanding. The spin and charge in question, as the article notes, are gauge invariant.
    - Confusion 17y ago
      That's not the issue here. As jacquesm points out in another comment: the issue here is that these are quasiparticles, which are fundamentally different from 'real' particles like electrons or photons. Whether or not the latter 'actually exist' is irrelevant for that distinction. A quasiparticle is nothing more than the name given to an emergent phenomenon. Only in a system like a nanowire can spinons and holons emerge. Only in such a system can you make it seem as if an electron has been split. An isolated electron still cannot be split in a spin carrying part and a charge carrying part.
- jacquesm 17y ago
  That is according to the wikipedia article - and how amazing it is that such an article should even exit, every time I look up something so arcane in wikipedia and it is actually there I'm still surprised, it is one of the very best things to come out of the web revolution - essentially the same thing. The 'somewhat' I guess refers to the word 'particles' used in the title, that should have been 'quasiparticles' in stead (in other words, particles that can not be observed directly) ?
hymanroth 17y ago
This dovetails nicely with research at Edinburgh university where particles could split in 'funny' and 'unfunny' versions. Unfortunately, when the two particles recombined, the result was no laughing matter.

26 points by chaosmachine 17y ago

The title is somewhat misleading; what's actually happening is that they finally observed spin-charge separation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinon

chaosmachine 17y ago
If the title is misleading, so is the article. A team of physicists from the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham have shown that electrons in narrow wires can divide into two new particles called spinons and a holons.
- pbhjpbhj 17y ago
  The article is clearly simplifying. Whether one believes the particles actually exist or whether describing them as particles is simply a convenience probably relates to whether one believes in an actual multiverse or that the Copenhagen interpretation is simply a method of understanding. The spin and charge in question, as the article notes, are gauge invariant.
  - Confusion 17y ago
    That's not the issue here. As jacquesm points out in another comment: the issue here is that these are quasiparticles, which are fundamentally different from 'real' particles like electrons or photons. Whether or not the latter 'actually exist' is irrelevant for that distinction. A quasiparticle is nothing more than the name given to an emergent phenomenon. Only in a system like a nanowire can spinons and holons emerge. Only in such a system can you make it seem as if an electron has been split. An isolated electron still cannot be split in a spin carrying part and a charge carrying part.
jacquesm 17y ago
That is according to the wikipedia article - and how amazing it is that such an article should even exit, every time I look up something so arcane in wikipedia and it is actually there I'm still surprised, it is one of the very best things to come out of the web revolution - essentially the same thing. The 'somewhat' I guess refers to the word 'particles' used in the title, that should have been 'quasiparticles' in stead (in other words, particles that can not be observed directly) ?

hymanroth 17y ago

This dovetails nicely with research at Edinburgh university where particles could split in 'funny' and 'unfunny' versions. Unfortunately, when the two particles recombined, the result was no laughing matter.