Matter Waves In A Gravitational Field: An Index Of Refraction For Massive Particles In General Relativity

Authors

James C. Evans, University of Puget SoundFollow
Paul M. Alsing, Albuquerque High Performance Computing Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
Stefano Giorgetti, Department of Physics, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Kamal Kanti Nandi, Department of Mathematics, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling (WB) 734430, India

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2001

Publication Title

American Journal Of Physics

Department

Science, Technology and Society

Abstract

We consider the propagation of massive-particle de Broglie waves in a static, isotropic metric in General relativity. We demonstrate the existence of an index of refraction that governs the waves and that has all the properties of a classical index of refraction. We confirm our interpretation with a Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin solution of the general-relativistic Klein-Gordon equation. Finally, we make some observations on the significance of the optical action.

Volume

69

Issue

10

pp.

1103-1110

ISSN

0002-9505

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.1389281

WorldCat Link

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/210221200

Provider Link

scitation.aip.org/content/aapt/journal/ajp/69/10/10.1119/1.1389281

Citation

Evans, James C., Pm Alsing, S. Giorgetti, and K. K. Nandi. 2001. "Matter waves in a gravitational field: An index of refraction for massive particles in general relativity." American Journal Of Physics 69(10): 1103-1110.