Zero Time Space How Quantum Tunneling Broke the Light Speed Barrier

by Nimtz, Gü; nter; Haibel, Astrid; Walter, Ulrich

• ISBN13: 9783527407354
• ISBN10: 3527407359
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-03
• Publisher: Wiley-VCH

Summary

Zero Time Space: How Quantum Tunneling Broke the Light Speed Barrier provides a sound scientific background, while allowing a popular presentation of the physics behind the strange and mysterious tunneling process.Based on his groundbreaking experiments, Professor Nimtz places the topic in a broader context by showing connections with other branches of physics. He and the team of authors begin by introducing such fundamental concepts as space and time and continue with tunneling phenomena from optics, nuclear and solid state physics. Avoiding mathematical equations and definitions altogether, they explain step-by-step the prerequisites for the tunnel effect to function, from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics, right up to modern topics, such as wormholes and space travel à la Star Trek.With a foreword by astronaut Ulrich Walter, science team member of the D-2 Space Shuttle Mission.

Author Biography

After a diploma in electrical engineering, Günter Nimtz moved to the University of Vienna were he received his doctorate in physics and philosophy. Back in Germany he finished his habilitation in physics and in 1977 accepted a position as research associate at McGill University, Canada. From 1983 until his retirement he held a professorship at the University of Cologne.

Astrid Haibel finished her PhD thesis at the University of Cologne about the topic of Signal Propagation in Photonic Barriers. She is currently working at the Hahn-Meitner Institute in Berlin in the Department of Materials Science.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Subtle is the Lord
Introduction	p. 1
The Tunneling Process	p. 1
Time, Space and Velocity	p. 6
Measures of Time and Space	p. 17
Measures of Time: Heartbeat, Day and Year	p. 19
Measures of Length: Foot, Meter and Light Year	p. 21
Time in Biology	p. 29
Perception, Thoughts, Brainwork, Memory	p. 29
Biological Time Unit	p. 32
Velocity	p. 33
Velocity Definitions	p. 36
Velocity Measurement	p. 38
Interaction Processes	p. 43
Signals	p. 47
From Galilei via Newton and Einstein to Quantum Physics	p. 51
Faster than Light and Zero Time Phenomena	p. 57
The Tunneling Process: Space with Zero Time	p. 58
Tunneling Velocity	p. 104
Tunneling as a Near-Field Phenomenon	p. 115
Causality	p. 116
Non-Locality: Reflection at Tunneling Barriers	p. 120
Tunneling Particles are Not Observable	p. 124
Universal Relation between Tunneling Time and Signal or Particle Frequency	p. 125
Teleportation	p. 129
Wormholes and Warp Drives	p. 130
Bibliography	p. 139
Index	p. 141
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.