Music theory and quantum mechanics

Note. pens. 1 (of music visualization techniques), 2 (about the basics of the conversion of analog to digital sound). i>

In high school, you probably saw a similar picture:



This figure shows a stylized red nucleus with protons and neutrons, blue, gray surrounded by three electrons. This pretty standard picture. From it can get a good logo. Unfortunately, she, at the same time, it is absolutely wrong. Subatomic particles to a certain extent like small glass beads, but the degree of similarity is very low. Electrons move around the nucleus really, but this is not the movement along an elliptical path, as if they were small satellites orbiting the planet. The true nature of the electrons in the atom is much more unusual and interesting. And the image can hardly convey the essence of quantum particles. Using the theory of music is made much easier.

Quantum particles - this wave h4> The problem of pictures in books like the image above, is that because of them you begin to perceive the particles as "things". And they are not things. They come and go, like a quick flash - it's more like our idea of ​​energy. What we call "particles" - actually clumps of energy fields.

Protons and electrons are attracted to each other like magnets attracted to the refrigerator. If electrons were actually like small satellites moving around the planet, they could be rotated at any distance from the nucleus and could easily fall into the core and face the protons. But this is not happening. Electrons are always self-organize in a very specific spatial structure around the nucleus. This fact seemed a mystery until scientists began to consider the electrons as probability wave in the energy field. < br />
Good analog of how to actually behave particles - TV white noise, which consists of a large number of electrons in an arbitrary order is displayed on the screen. Try to imagine around the nucleus of an atom this "static" and you get a much better picture of what is happening than give images from satellites orbiting planets.



When the electrons are in orbit around the atom or molecule, their movement pattern is not random unlike white noise on the TV screen. When the electrons are orbiting atoms, their energy fields are organized in a structure similar to rolled ripples. You can learn this pattern with the help of an interactive visualization subatomic world of Paul Felsteda - look at the end of the section "Quantum Mechanics» simulator hydrogen atom.

But what does all this have to do with music theory? Vibration field of an electron around an atom act as harmonic oscillations. Electrons have harmonics, as well as in guitar strings . Harmonics electrons have three dimensions as opposed to one-dimensional string harmonics, but they are based on the same principle. These harmonics identify the device and the interaction of the electron waves in the same way as the harmonic strings form the basis of chords and scales. Harmonics of the electron field called orbitals .

The whole physical world is made up of electrons harmonics h4>

This screenshot applet for quantum harmonic oscillations Felsteda shows the first harmonic of the electron field around the molecule H2, two hydrogen atoms, each of which consists of one proton and one electron. This "electronic" equivalent harmonic guitar string at the 12th fret. Blue drop indicates the position of an electron, red drop - the position of another electron. At higher energy levels orbitals take more complex forms. This is a direct analogy more complex musical intervals, which can be obtained from higher harmonics of a guitar string.



Orbitals can be represented as a system of small cells, each of which can occupy only one electron. These cells are divided into pairs, and electrons "prefer" to live in the neighboring cells. The structure of all the chemical elements and objects is determined by the interplay between the outer orbitals of the atoms. If the outermost cells are empty, they can be filled with electrons of other atoms, the atoms in the molecule interlocking. All liquid and solid materials retain their structure due to the exchange of electrons between orbitals.

Below shows the molecular structure of ice created Masakatsu Matsumoto . Red balls - oxygen atoms. Blue - hydrogen atoms. Yellow bars represent the connection - they create electrons exchanged outermost orbitals of atoms of oxygen and hydrogen.



This hexagonal structure of ice occurs because of how the lining orbitals of oxygen and hydrogen. You can watch how this hexagonal structure is repeated at the macro level in the form of snowflakes and frost.

If you heat the ice to melting point, you are in essence, shell ice surface photons knocking electrons from orbitals so that they can move more freely from atom to atom. Atoms remain bound, but not so hard, and the structure of their relationship becomes more 'forgiving ».



If you continue the process of photon "fire" that completely break the bonds between the molecules, which will begin to move freely and independently in a state which we call steam. If you are bombarded by photons pairs, then break the molecule, separating the electrons from the nucleus in the form of plasma. Even greater energy pulse burst at the core of protons and neutrons, and protons and neutrons are themselves split into components: the top and bottom quarks. Quarks, protons, neutrons, nuclei of atoms and molecules are vibrating energy fields, each of which has its own special waveform and harmonic.

When I get bored, I like to imagine that everything around me, all the matter and energy - is resonating energy fields, forming harmony just as the sounds are added to chords. Who said that science can not be fun?

Education through music h4> Albert Einstein told репортерам, that he often "thinks in terms of musical architecture." Einstein was a keen amateur violin and stood at the foundations of quantum mechanics. Perhaps these two facts are related.

Has the Einstein clear parallels between musical harmonics and quantum? This is what we will probably never know, but such a relationship exists, and future scientists will be able to benefit from it. The concept of electron orbitals are still not fully developed. When I was in high school, my (wonderful) chemistry teacher said that we should not even try to visualize the true nature of electrons. She was right in that it is not trying to stoop to primitive explanation or lead us down the wrong path, but she gave up too early. She, however, was unable to use the powerful interactive computer visualization, but in our school was a great music class. If I ever had the opportunity to teach children the chemistry, I first try to make sure that they have encountered in practice with musical harmonics. I'd show them what to play higher harmonics requires more energy and how these higher harmonics can create a rich musical palette. And then if we go back to chemistry, the children understand it will be much easier.

Source: geektimes.ru/company/audiomania/blog/242552/