Rydberg Polarons & TGD View About Spacetime

Abstract

I learned about very weird looking phenomenon involving Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of strontium atoms at ultralow temperature corresponding to T = 1.5 x 10^-7 K and thus thermal energy of order $10^-11 eV. Experimenters create Rydberg atoms by applying a laser beam to BEC of strontium atoms: Second valence electron of Sr is kicked to at an orbital with very large classical radius characterized by the principal quantum number n. This leads to a formation of "molecules" of BEC atoms inside the orbit of Rydberg electron - Rydberg polarons as they are called. The phenomenon is an excellent challenge for TGD, and, in this article, I will construct a TGD inspired model for it. The model relies on the notion of many-sheeted space-time distinguishing between Maxwellian electrodynamics and TGD. The model assumers a pair of magnetic flux tubes between electrons of opposite spin associated with the Rydberg atom. The flux tubes are parallel space-time sheets in M⁴ x CP² (same M⁴ projection) and are not distinguishable at QFT limit of TGD. They carry monopole fluxes with opposite directions and present in the region between spins, where the sum of the dipole fields vanishes in Maxwellian theory. The members of s² electron pairs of BEC atoms are assumed to topologically condense at different parallel flux tubes of the pair minimizing ground state energy in this manner. The model makes predictions surprisingly similar to the model of experimenters based on Born-Oppenheimer potential but there are also differences. An interesting possibility that if the generation of Rydberg involves time reversal as zero energy ontology (ZEO) suggests then the energy spectrum involved can be positive rather than consisting of bound states. Also a possible interpretation for the "endogenous" magnetic fields central in TGD inspired biology emerges.