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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Teaching College Physics To A Blind Student, Michelle Parry, Mark Brazier, Ephraim Fischbach Nov 1997

Teaching College Physics To A Blind Student, Michelle Parry, Mark Brazier, Ephraim Fischbach

Chemistry & Physics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Metastable States In Classical And Quantum Systems, Mark Makela, Samantha Parmley, Roger Yu Jul 1997

Metastable States In Classical And Quantum Systems, Mark Makela, Samantha Parmley, Roger Yu

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The classical vibrational metastable states in a one-dimensional two-mass system are investigated experimentally and theoretically via the transmission of a coherent wave packet propagating through the system. The Fourier transform of the vibrational signal recorded in between the masses reveals resonant excitations by the coherent wave packet. The time-resolved spectrum indicates that the lifetime of a metastable state of higher frequency is longer than that of lower frequency, which is in contrast with the quantum mechanical double-barrier system. This study, which is easily accessible to physics majors, also demonstrates quantum resonant tunneling in a very simple classical way.