Measuring the Quantum Foam

Figure 1, The smooth curve is the electron wave amplitude, and in yellow above, combined with the quantum noise, approaching the phosphor atoms. The noise peak at 80 degrees wins in this example, and all the electron energy will be absorbed by that atom.

Introduction

Quantum foam or spacetime foam is the quantum fluctuation of spacetime on very small scales due to quantum mechanics. The idea was devised by John Wheeler in 1955.

Very little is known about the quantum foam or fluctuations, or vacuum energy. We don’t even have a decent name for it. It is thought that it is related to the source of dark energy, and other important phenomena in…