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In the context of modern physics a particle, including as referenced in condensed matter physics, refers to all of the quantum wave phenomena that you just desc
by TTPrograms 12y ago
In the context of modern physics a particle, including as referenced in condensed matter physics, refers to all of the quantum wave phenomena that you just described. So to call it a particle in this context is perfectly accurate.
- lisper 12y agoYes, that's true, but it misses the point, which is that referring to "particle analogs" as "particles" is not at all misleading. In fact, if anything is misleading, it is distinguishing between the two in a way that implies that "particle analogs" are somehow "less real" than "real" particles. "Particle analogs" are "excitations in the state of some underlying matter", but the underlying matter is just excitations in the state of some underlying wave function. The only difference is that the states of particle analogs are more complicated than the states of "real particles" but that is a difference of degree, not of kind.
- evanb 12y agoJust for future reference for everybody involved, these "particle analog" phenomena have a name: quasiparticles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasiparticle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasiparticle