More Strange Bose-Einstein Condensate Behavior

Allen Varney writes "According to a story on EurekAlert, an arXiv preprint server paper titled 'Scattering of atoms on a Bose-Einstein Condensate' reports that atoms striking a BEC sometimes appears to leave before they enter. 'This doesn't imply a breaking of the light-speed barrier, time travel or anything overly exotic but is a property of waves being broken down into component parts and being reassembled slightly differently. [...] As an atom hits the BEC, it is absorbed into the collective state but still exists as a vibration. The vibration travels through the BEC but can escape as an atom once more. The study reinforces the similarity between atoms as waves and light as waves.' Slashdot has talked about supposed faster-than-light travel once or twice (or more) before."

Comments

Old news..

[Anonymous Coward]

This was reported in Nature over a year ago..

Still, a cool effect.

Something nifty? *boggle*

[Slartibartfast]

Roblimo actually posted a cool story. I am both shocked and amazingly pleased. After the whole Alex Chiu debacle, I'd lost most any hope...

sounds familiar

[Jucius Maximus]

"sometimes appears to leave before they enter"

I've heard quasi-similar complaints about CmdrTaco from his S/O.

scient1st pr0n

[Anonymous Coward]

xxx.lanl.gov