 | Acta Crystallographica Section A Acta Crystallographica Section A FOUNDATIONS AND ADVANCES |
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![[Figure 1]](kx5049fig1mag.jpg)
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Figure 1
A gedankenexperiment to demonstrate the possibility of a non-symmetric momentum density in a classical orbital. An observer sits in the plane of a highly eccentric planetary orbit, perpendicular to its major axis, and with the planet moving towards the observer at perihelion. The observer measures the amount of time each projection of the planet's momentum is observed for (perhaps via a Doppler-shift measurement) during a complete orbit, observing a large positive momentum projection for a small amount of time, and a small negative momentum for a long time as the planet orbits furthest from the star. The largest positive momentum has no negative counterpart and so the momentum density is clearly asymmetric. It is clear that this function is reversed under reversal of time (i.e. the planet orbits in reverse), and also under spatial inversion, realized (in this two-dimensional system) by a rotation of π of the orbital within the orbital plane. |
![[Figure 1]](kx5049fig1.jpg)
| FOUNDATIONS ADVANCES |
ISSN: 2053-2733
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