Measuring electrostatic interaction speed via laser beam deflection by 2D material.
ORAL
Abstract
Prior work indicates that, while Maxwell’s electrodynamics and special relativity predict electromagnetic interactions propagate at the speed of light c, experiments with moving charges, anomalous dispersion materials, tunneling gaps, and accelerators suggest possible superluminal effects, with limited evidence for light-speed Coulomb field propagation.
This study directly measures the speed of electrostatic interactions between stationary charges using a novel setup. A two-dimensional material, one atom thick, was irradiated with a femtosecond laser, and its deflection was tracked via laser beam reflection onto a screen. A static charge was generated at the laser source simultaneously with the first impulse, while the sample was pre-charged. Over a 5-meter laser path, we expected sample motion after tR = l/c, approx. 1.7 x 10-8 s. However, deflection was observed even with the first impulse, suggesting Coulomb interactions occur faster than tR - instantly with our registration precision. Given that the laser pulse duration was femtoseconds, which is 7 orders of magnitude less than tR, we consider that the time of sample deflection under the influence of Coulomb's force was recorded with sufficient accuracy.
Limited to one material, these findings provide new data for understanding electromagnetic interaction speeds and motivate further experiments, potentially interpretable via informational interaction theories.
This study directly measures the speed of electrostatic interactions between stationary charges using a novel setup. A two-dimensional material, one atom thick, was irradiated with a femtosecond laser, and its deflection was tracked via laser beam reflection onto a screen. A static charge was generated at the laser source simultaneously with the first impulse, while the sample was pre-charged. Over a 5-meter laser path, we expected sample motion after tR = l/c, approx. 1.7 x 10-8 s. However, deflection was observed even with the first impulse, suggesting Coulomb interactions occur faster than tR - instantly with our registration precision. Given that the laser pulse duration was femtoseconds, which is 7 orders of magnitude less than tR, we consider that the time of sample deflection under the influence of Coulomb's force was recorded with sufficient accuracy.
Limited to one material, these findings provide new data for understanding electromagnetic interaction speeds and motivate further experiments, potentially interpretable via informational interaction theories.
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Presenters
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Sergey Gavrilov
- Lotos Lab