Try "quantum tunneling". Terry
On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:09 AM, OrionWorks<svj.orionwo...@gmail.com> wrote: > My knowledge of quantum effects is rather provincial, so please take > this into consideration concerning the quality of my question. > > I've heard of a phenomenon akin to subatomic particles being able to > "bore" effortlessly through atoms in a manner roughly similar to > playing croquet, where you place your foot on a ball and whack it with > the hammer causing an adjacent physically touching ball to go flying > across the lawn. It's my understanding there is a phenomenon that > describes traveling subatomic particles which, under appropriate > conditions, seem to be able to pass effortlessly through an atom and > magically reappear on the other side where they can continue > unhindered on their original trajectory. It is as if no resistance was > experienced while the subatomic particle was in intimate contact with > the atom. Such a phenomenon, if I am describing it correctly, seems to > bring up questions in regards to what the hell happened to the Coulomb > barrier. > > Makes me wonder if the phenomenon, if better understood, might be able > to avail itself to tricking the nucleus into doing weird things... > like possibly rearranging the proton/neutron ratio. ...or perhaps > finessing a few out or in. > > Several googled attempts to locate literature related to "quantum > boring" and related phrases were unsuccessful. All I seem to get are > critiques on the recent James Bond flick, "Quantum Solace", and how > "boring" they thought it was. > > Regards > Steven Vincent Johnson > www.OrionWorks.com > www.zazzle.com/orionworks > >
