From: gts (gts@optexinc.com)
Date: Thu Oct 24 2002 - 12:13:23 MDT
Eugen Leitl wrote:
> On Thu, 24 Oct 2002, gts wrote:
>
>> Sure. However it is not possible for two objects to exist
>> in the same
>> quantum state in the first place, as per the Pauli Exclusion
>> Principle.
>
> No. PEP says that no two electrons in an atom (that is, the
> _same_ atom) can have identical quantum numbers.
Actually PEP was later generalized to all fermions -- not only electrons
as originally conceived by Pauli.
According to the modern version of PEP, fermions cannot have the same
quantum numbers when contained in a "closed system" but I'm not aware of
any rule that limits the definition of "closed system" to atoms only.
Certainly a molecule is a closed system describable in terms of quantum
mechanics. And if molecules then why not also larger macroscopic
systems?
Position is, after all, one of the four quantum numbers that cannot be
duplicated by two fermions within a system. I note that regardless of
spin, momentum and mass, two electrons cannot occupy the same position
even if they are traveling apparently free through empty space.
-gts
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