GRED: Double slit with early divider

[RJN]

Guess the Result of the Experiment of the Day (GRED)

A classic double slit experiment is done with light (photons) that creates an interference pattern on the image screen. The experiment is repeated, except now a thin but opaque divider is placed from the source to the slit screen that divides the two slits. Here is an ASCII schematic:

Code: Select all

                                                            
                               |                               |
     s ------------------------|                               |
           opaque divider      |                               |

    Photon                   Double                          Image
    Source                    Slit                          Screen
                             Screen

What pattern appears on the image screen?

Please do NOT post any answers or comments with spoilers here. Answers and comments with spoilers are encouraged in this post: http://asterisk.apod.com/vie ... 30&t=19566 .

Comments or questions here -- without spoilers -- are OK. In particular, questions about the experimental setup are OK.

[jcast]

Is this a thought experiment or derived from a physical apparatus?
What is the nature of the particle stream in terms of particle count?
Does the opaque screen obscure either slit from the particle source, in other words, is there a direct line-of-sight from the source to the slit screen?

[RJN]

Answers to jcast: Yes, this is a thought experiment. Still, it should not be difficult to do this in practice. The particle stream count should not matter -- that was the topic of the last GRED! The opaque screen does NOT obscure either slit from the source. Therefore, yes, there is a direct line of sight from the source to each slit in the slit screen. I hope this is a help.

[Amir]

Hi
RJN, is it possible to put a number on each GRED (like SMOs) , so that they could be referred or remembered more easily.
Thanks.

[jm]

Can we have a fourth option?
* Don't mess with my brain like this.