Physics307L:People/Klimov/eDiffraction: Difference between revisions
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=Electron Diffraction Summary= | =Electron Diffraction Summary= | ||
Diffraction is a phenomenon that arises from the interference of waves. Until the 20th century, diffraction was believed to be an effect reserved to light (and perhaps water and maybe sound). However, in the early 20th century, an experimental 'accident' led to the discovery that particles, too, could diffract -- that is, particles had some sort of wave nature. Coincidentally, only several years earlier (if i remember correctly), matter waves had been predicted in the doctorate thesis of Louis de Broglie, who claimed that matter must behave like waves in certain limits to preserve the symmetry often observed in nature. Although the first | Diffraction is a phenomenon that arises from the interference of waves. Until the 20th century, diffraction was believed to be an effect reserved to light (and perhaps water and maybe sound). However, in the early 20th century, an experimental 'accident' led to the discovery that particles, too, could diffract -- that is, particles had some sort of wave nature. Coincidentally, only several years earlier (if i remember correctly), matter waves had been predicted in the doctorate thesis of Louis de Broglie, who claimed that matter must behave like waves in certain limits to preserve the symmetry often observed in nature. Although the first particles that were observed to diffract were electrons, it has been shown since that essentially anything can diffract, given the correct conditions. Over the course of the century, particle diffraction has become a huge component of various fields of physics and chemistry. | ||
==Results== | ==Results== | ||
==Conclusions== | ==Conclusions== | ||
Revision as of 21:46, 19 October 2008
Electron Diffraction Summary
Diffraction is a phenomenon that arises from the interference of waves. Until the 20th century, diffraction was believed to be an effect reserved to light (and perhaps water and maybe sound). However, in the early 20th century, an experimental 'accident' led to the discovery that particles, too, could diffract -- that is, particles had some sort of wave nature. Coincidentally, only several years earlier (if i remember correctly), matter waves had been predicted in the doctorate thesis of Louis de Broglie, who claimed that matter must behave like waves in certain limits to preserve the symmetry often observed in nature. Although the first particles that were observed to diffract were electrons, it has been shown since that essentially anything can diffract, given the correct conditions. Over the course of the century, particle diffraction has become a huge component of various fields of physics and chemistry.
