Einstein’s Explanation of the Unexplainable
Quantum tunneling is the quantum mechanical phenomenon where a wavefunction can propagate through a potential barrier.
Many believe the ability of a particle to penetrate through a potential energy barrier that is higher in energy than its potential energy can only be explain by assuming it is a quantum mechanical phenomenon.
However, that MAY NOT be true because it could be due to the dynamics of an electromagnetic wave in space-time.
But before can explain why we must first establish a physical connection between a quantum system and the mathematical properties of the wave function with the properties of an electromagnetic wave in space-time. This can be accomplished because in Relativity the evolution of space-time is defined in terms of an electromagnetic wave while, the wave function defines how a quantum environment evolves to the point where it is observed.
This commonality suggests the wave function could be a mathematical representation of an electromagnetic wave in space-time.
One can connect them because the science of wave mechanics and relatively tells us an electromagnetic wave moves continuously through space-time unless it is prevented from moving through time by someone or something interacting with it. This would result in it being confined to three-dimensional space. The science of wave mechanics also tells us the three-dimensional “walls” of this confinement will result in its energy being reflected back on itself thereby creating a resonant or standing wave in three-dimensional space. This would cause the energy of an electromagnetic wave to be concentrated at the point in space were a particle would be found. Additionally, wave mechanics also tells us the energy of a resonant system such as a standing wave can only take on the discrete or quantized values associated with its fundamental or a harmonic of its fundamental frequency that the wave function associates with a particle.
One of the core principals of quantum mechanics is that the wave function continues mathematically evolve until it interacts with someone or something. Only then does the quantum system it defines collapses or reduces to the non-mathematical or physical properties of a particle.
Putting it another way when an electromagnetic wave is prevented from moving through space time either by being observed or encountering an object it is reduced or “Collapses” to a form a standing wave that would define the quantized energy quantum mechanics associates with a particle.
As was mentioned earlier quantum mechanics defines the evolution of a quantum system in terms of the mathematical properties of the wave function. However, as was shown above one can establish a physical connection to a space- time environment if one assumes that it represents an electromagnetic wave in a space-time because if it is prevented from evolving through space by an observation it presents itself as a particle.
As was also mentioned earlier many believe the ability of a particle to penetrate through a potential energy barrier that is higher in energy than the its kinetic energy can only be explain by assuming it is a quantum mechanical phenomenon.
However, one can use the science of wave mechanics to show that MAY NOT be true.
It and observations of waves tell us when the crests of two waves collide will produce a wave whose amplitude is greater. This means if crests of the standing wave responsible for a particle mentioned above collide, they will produce a wave whose amplitude MAY be large enough to go over a potential energy barrier that is higher than that associated with the original wave.
One could validate this conclusion because if true one should be able to use the science of wave mechanics to define how many the times in a given time period a crest would occur that would be large enough to overcome the potential energy barrier in front of it. If that value matches the probability, one occurs based on the wave function it would support that assumption.