Particle-Wave Matter: Difference between revisions

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"Particle-wave matter" is the unidentified substance that [[Angels]] (and thus, the [[Evangelions]]) are composed of.  It is not simply an unknown chemical substance:  the basic atomic structure of the matter Angels are composed of is different from anything previously encountered by human science.
"'''Particle-wave matter'''<ref>This article's subject does not have any known canonical designation. "Particle-wave matter" is a fan-created term based on Ritsuko's quote in [[Episode 05]].</ref>", commonly abbreviated "PWM", is the substance of which [[Angels]] -- including the two seeds [[Adam]] and [[Lilith]], [[Evangelions]], [[Rei Ayanami|Rei]] and [[Kaworu Nagisa|Kaworu]] -- are composed.


As Dr. [[Ritsuko Akagi]] explains in [[Episode 05]] after analysis of the corpse of the Angel [[Shamshel]]:
==Description==
The subatomic structure of this matter is different from normal matter. [[Ritsuko Akagi]] explains that this type of matter is characterized by both particle and wave properties, like light:


:"''We do know the Angel is composed of a type of matter characterized by both particulate and wave properties, like light.''"
:''"Angels are made up of a strange substance that has the properties of both a wave and a particle, just like light. (...) Even though they’re made of different material, their signal distribution and coordinates are strikingly similar to human DNA. 99.89% similar.''”<ref>''Neon Genesis Evangelion''. [[Episode 05]].</ref>


Essentially, Matter tends to behave as particles (discrete individual units), while Energy (all electromagnetic radiation including light) behaves as waves (waves of energy).  However, Einstein won the Nobel Prize for proving that Energy behaves as both waves ''and'' particles.  The basic units of Energy are "photons", discrete packets of Energy which cannot be further subdivided.  Later, it was discovered that Matter actually behaves as waves too:  according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, electrons move around an atom in such a way that while a discrete "particle", the exact location and direction of a single electron cannot be determined at the same time (this is why the "cloud" model is often used to represent electrons), and they do behave like a wave.  Later, it was discovered that Protons and Neutrons also behave somewhat like a wave, but their motion is incredibly small and negligible, due to their much greater mass than electrons (one proton has well over a thousand times greater mass than an electron).  Photons apparently have no mass (though it might just be so small that scientific instruments cannot detect it).
The "particle-wave matter" that Angels (and Evas) are composed of would, based on Ritsuko's description, appear to be particles with nonzero rest mass -- not massless like a photon, but perhaps comparable to a neutrino in mass, showing measurable wave behavior while still being matter.  


Wave-particle duality can basically be thought of on this spectrum: Proton --> Electron -----> Photon
Essentially, while the "atoms" which Angels are made of are not what we would consider "normal" matter (they don't even seem to be composed of an arrangement of protons, neutrons, and electrons){{fact}}, the structure of the "molecules" into which "atoms" of particle-wave matter are arranged is an almost exactly the same as certain molecule forms found in terrestrial life forms, specifically the arrangement of human genetic molecules.


*Proton:  heavy mass = behaves almost entirely like a particle, with negligible wave properties
Ritsuko refers to the genetic scan of Shamshel as displaying the Angel's "inherent wave pattern".
*Electron:  small mass = behaves mostly like a particle, but has distinct wave-like behavior
*Photon:  no (or almost) no mass = behaves like a wave, with particle-properties in that it cannot be infinitely subdivided into smaller units.


The "particle-wave matter" that Angels (and Evas) are composed of would, based on Ritsuko's description, appear to be somewhere on the spectrum between Electrons and Photons:  it's not quite what we'd strictly define as "Matter" and not quite what we'd strictly define as "Energy", but falls between the two.  It has significant mass, but more photon-like wave-behavior than electrons.  The result would look like:  Proton --> Electron --> "Particle-wave matter" --> Photons
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|title  = Inherent Wave Patterns
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|image1  = [[Image:05 C080 shamshel-pattern.jpg|thumb|200px|The Angels' "inherent wave pattern"]]
|image2  = [[File:Rei Spectrum Scan.jpg|thumb|200px|Rei's "inherent wave pattern"]]{{fact}}
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==Properties==
 
{{expand}}
 
Two of the known properties of PWM are:
 
# PWM is unaffected by Anti-A.T. Fields.  In EOE [[Lilith]], [[Evangelion Unit-01|Eva-01]] and the [[Mass Production Evangelions|M.P. Evas]] do not turn into [[LCL]] along with the humans.
# Upon death (the tank Reis in Ep. 23, Lilith in EOE), or [[A.T. Field]] failure (Rei in EOE), some PWM beings fall apart.
 
 
==Real-Life Applications==
 
The concept seems to be based upon the real world scientific concept of Wave-particle Duality<ref>http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/mod1.html</ref><ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality</ref>:
 
At the scale of human beings, matter tends to behave as particles (discrete individual units), while electromagnetic radiation (including light) behaves as waves. However, Einstein won the Nobel Prize for proving that electromagnetic waves behave as both waves ''and'' particles.  The basic units of energy are "quanta", discrete packets of energy which cannot be further subdivided.  Later, it was discovered that matter actually behaves as waves too:  according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, electrons move around an atom in such a way that while a discrete "particle", the exact location and direction of a single electron cannot be determined at the same time (this is why the "cloud" model is often used to represent electrons), and they do behave like a wave.  Protons and Neutrons, and other heavier subatomic particles represent less of wavelike properties due to their much greater rest mass, a proton having almost two thousand times the rest mass of an electron.  Photons (the quanta of electromagnetic energy) are massless particles traveling at the speed of light.
 
Large concentrations of matter (like a human being) have wave properties, but on far too negligible a scale to measure.
 
==References==
{{reflist}}


==Notes==
*The exact term "particle-wave matter" was never used in the series as an exact term; the name for this article is based on the quote from Ritsuko in Episode 05.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality Wave-particle duality] is a real-world scientific principle. 


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Latest revision as of 03:45, 28 February 2011

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"Particle-wave matter[1]", commonly abbreviated "PWM", is the substance of which Angels -- including the two seeds Adam and Lilith, Evangelions, Rei and Kaworu -- are composed.

Description

The subatomic structure of this matter is different from normal matter. Ritsuko Akagi explains that this type of matter is characterized by both particle and wave properties, like light:

"Angels are made up of a strange substance that has the properties of both a wave and a particle, just like light. (...) Even though they’re made of different material, their signal distribution and coordinates are strikingly similar to human DNA. 99.89% similar.”[2]

The "particle-wave matter" that Angels (and Evas) are composed of would, based on Ritsuko's description, appear to be particles with nonzero rest mass -- not massless like a photon, but perhaps comparable to a neutrino in mass, showing measurable wave behavior while still being matter.

Essentially, while the "atoms" which Angels are made of are not what we would consider "normal" matter (they don't even seem to be composed of an arrangement of protons, neutrons, and electrons)[Source needed], the structure of the "molecules" into which "atoms" of particle-wave matter are arranged is an almost exactly the same as certain molecule forms found in terrestrial life forms, specifically the arrangement of human genetic molecules.

Ritsuko refers to the genetic scan of Shamshel as displaying the Angel's "inherent wave pattern".

Inherent Wave Patterns
The Angels' "inherent wave pattern"
Rei's "inherent wave pattern"
[Source needed]


Properties

"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process."
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Please discuss this issue, or begin editing the page.


Two of the known properties of PWM are:

  1. PWM is unaffected by Anti-A.T. Fields. In EOE Lilith, Eva-01 and the M.P. Evas do not turn into LCL along with the humans.
  2. Upon death (the tank Reis in Ep. 23, Lilith in EOE), or A.T. Field failure (Rei in EOE), some PWM beings fall apart.


Real-Life Applications

The concept seems to be based upon the real world scientific concept of Wave-particle Duality[3][4]:

At the scale of human beings, matter tends to behave as particles (discrete individual units), while electromagnetic radiation (including light) behaves as waves. However, Einstein won the Nobel Prize for proving that electromagnetic waves behave as both waves and particles. The basic units of energy are "quanta", discrete packets of energy which cannot be further subdivided. Later, it was discovered that matter actually behaves as waves too: according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, electrons move around an atom in such a way that while a discrete "particle", the exact location and direction of a single electron cannot be determined at the same time (this is why the "cloud" model is often used to represent electrons), and they do behave like a wave. Protons and Neutrons, and other heavier subatomic particles represent less of wavelike properties due to their much greater rest mass, a proton having almost two thousand times the rest mass of an electron. Photons (the quanta of electromagnetic energy) are massless particles traveling at the speed of light.

Large concentrations of matter (like a human being) have wave properties, but on far too negligible a scale to measure.

References

  1. ↑ This article's subject does not have any known canonical designation. "Particle-wave matter" is a fan-created term based on Ritsuko's quote in Episode 05.
  2. ↑ Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episode 05.
  3. ↑ http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/mod1.html
  4. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality
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