Speculation on Quantum Free Particle Momentum as a Statistical Parameter

For a Maxwell-Boltzmann gas (MB) it is known that T (temperature) is a statistical parameter related to the average energy. It appears in f(ei) = C exp(-ei/T) so T has the same units as ei, a single particle energy. If T increases, ei increases identically  if ei/T is treated as constant. Thinking in terms of ei=pp/2m, this means the momentum spread (i.e. variance of the Gaussian increases) and one expects entropy to increase

   In (1) we argued that exp(-ei/T) for an MB gas and exp(ipx) for a quantum free particle (constant p), follow from the same statistical rule  P(a1)P(a2)=P(a1+a2), but ei is a scalar and p a vector. Furthermore exp(ipx) is associated with spatial invariance and the generator of translations d/dx. In this note, we try to argue that a constant p may act as a statistical parameter just as T, although in this case hbar/p has the behaviour of a length i.e. the wavelength. If p increases (just like T is increased), the wavelength decreases meaning there are more peaks in a fixed length or more entropy, we argue. Thus there seems to be a statistical mechanical similarity to increasing T for an MB gas and to increasing p for a single free quantum particle.

   The association of x and p in exp(ipx) has implications, not only for the resolution of x space, but the increased entropy suggested by more peaks of cos(px). In addition, this means more peak places for impulses to occur. Thus a large p not only represents a large impulse, but is associated with more peak points for this impulse to be delivered and more entropy. In (2) we argued that the humps of cos(px) encode information about the impulse/force used to create p and which may be delivered if p hits an object. Thus there is a somewhat unusual relationship between p and x that one does not find in Newtonian mechanics, but has its roots in special relativity i.e. in the Lorentz invariant -Et+px. We suggest that just like exp(-V(x)/T) in an MB gas means that for a large force=-dV/dx, exp(-V/T) changes rapidly in x, a large p, associated with a large force should also imply that the humps in exp(ipx) rise (and fall) sharply, thus leading to sharp peaks. Thus sharp peaks are indicative of high internal force and increased entropy for a free particle exp(ipx), we argue.