The act of measuring requires one to impart some energy (photons or other) or matter upon the particle. Upon the object being measured, the object may instantly increase in mass or change velocity. Over time this energy will be transferred back to its environment as it evaporates...
On Saturday, August 18, 2012, Harry Veeder wrote: > BTW, I appear to contradict myself when I said "measuring cannot > increase the energy of the particle" > vs I agree with the claim that measuring can concentrate energy in a > system. In the former, I mean I don't accept the idea that measuring > can somehow increase the energy the particle without the transfer of > energy from somewhere else. > > Harry > > On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 7:31 PM, Harry Veeder <hveeder...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Hi LP, > > > > I haven't read the paper, but I don't disagree with claim. In fact it > > should not be unexpected. > > > > Even in a macroscopic system a concentration energy can come about as > > a result of energy being transferred from the measuring system to the > > system being measured. Of course, such a measuring system would be > > considered defective because it provides a distorted picture of the > > energy content of system being measured. However, classical mechanics > > says a measuring system can be designed in theory to have an > > arbitrarily small distorting effect, whereas quantum mechanics says > > this is not possible in theory. > > > > Harry > > > > On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 2:44 PM, <pagnu...@htdconnect.com> wrote: > >> Hello Harry, > >> > >> To be really precise, though, an energy measurement of a particle in a > >> superposition of energy eigenstates might find it in one of the states > >> higher than the weighted average energy of its wavefunction. So, you > >> might say that the measurement increased its energy, but over many such > >> measurements would just produce the mean energy of the wavefunction. > >> > >> While I am not convinced they are correct, the authors of the paper I > >> referenced end with the conclusion - > >> > >> "From a general perspective a phenomenon like the energy concentration > in > >> a composite quantum system can indeed be motivated physically. There > exist > >> processes, where there is a redistribution of energy among different > >> system degrees of freedom making possible some amounts of system > >> self-organization. In particular, one could examine the possibility of > >> concentrating the total energy of the system into a subset of degrees of > >> freedom producing a decrease of its entropy, which in order to avoid a > >> violation of the second law of thermodynamics, would compel the release > of > >> energy to the environment, thus keeping the free energy constant. This > is > >> possible only if the system is open..." > >> > >> "Concentrating Energy by Measurement" > >> http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.5868 > >> > >> Interesting theory. > >> > >> -- LP > >> > >> Harry Veeder wrote: > >>> Actually, I tend agree with Robin that measuring cannot increase the > >>> energy of the particle. My question reflects my own attempt to > >>> understand why it is so. Now that I have thought about it, it is > >>> because one doesn't measure energy per se. Most measurements are > >>> really the result of calculations based on measurements of length and > >>> time plugged into a formula. BTW, the same is true of measurements of > >>> momentum. The modern physicists habit of refering to energy and > >>> momentum as "observables" is a perscription for phenomenological > >>> confusion. The resulting measures of length and time are only > >>> consistent with the supposed law-like properties of energy and > >>> momemtum on a statiscal level. > >>> > >>> Harry > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 11:31 PM, <pagnu...@htdconnect.com> wrote: > >>>> Hello Harry, > >>>> > >>>> You asked -- > >>>> "So, the measuring instrument itself will produce energy, if it is > used > >>>> to precisely measure the energy of a particle?" > >>>> > >>>> Probably not. > >>>> But maybe there are subtleties that obey the 2nd Law of > Thermodynamics, > >>>> but allow for some counterintuitive effects. For example, refer to -- > >>>> > >>>> "Concentrating Energy by Measurement" > >>>> http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.5868 > >>>> > >>>> -- LP > >>>> > >>>> Harry Veeder wrote: > >>>>> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 8:57 PM, <
