(Phys.org) —By their very nature, unstable particles will eventually decay, some faster than others. But according to the quantum Zeno paradox (QZP), an unstable particle that is observed continuously has been said to never decay. Though counterintuitive, this effect has been claimed to show up experimentally in numerous ways. Now in a new study, physicist Peter Toschek at the University of Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany, has argued that most of these experiments do not provide sufficient evidence of the QZP. By identifying the sufficient conditions necessary for proving the QZP, he confirms the validity of the paradox while probing deeper into its origins.
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