can a beam of electrons be refracted? explain?

Question

can a beam of electrons be refracted? explain

Answer 1

Yes, we can control a beam of electrons like we can with a beam of light. Instead of using optics like a lens, we can use electric or magnetic fields to control the electron beam. This is how a tube TV works: electron guns shoot beams of electrons onto a phosphorous screen and magnetic fields is used to control the image that the beam projects, i.e. focus, move image left or right, etc.

PS- you can not use an optical lens to refract an electron beam because the lens will absorb most of the electron beam, i.e. the glass is opaque to the electron beam.

Answer 2

If you mean bending by passing through a different density medium, i could not tell you, but as most electon beam travel in a vacuum they can be bent using electrostatics or magnetic lenses, the electostatics work in a similar way to how a comb will attract small things when it is charged electrostatically ie a more descriptive can be found at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscilloscopes#Cathode-ray_oscilloscope_.28CRO.29 ..........

............Between the electron gun and the screen are two opposed pairs of metal plates called the deflection plates. The vertical amplifier generates a potential difference across one pair of plates, giving rise to a vertical electric field through which the electron beam passes. When the plate potentials are the same, the beam is not deflected. When the top plate is positive with respect to the bottom plate, the beam is deflected upwards; when the field is reversed, the beam is deflected downwards.

Answer 3

Magnetism (electrical or natural) can bend (refract) a beam of electrons. The most common example of this is a plain, old fashion TV with a cathod ray tube. As the beam of electrons streams onto the face of the CRT, the electro magnets guide (refract) the beam across that face...giving us the TV picture.

Electro-magnetism (EM) is one of the four fundamental fources of nature. Weak, strong, and gravity are the other three. Because the electro and magnetic parts of EM force are linked together, what we do to the electrical part affects the magnetic part; and vice versa. Thus, for example, we can create electricity from magnetisim (we call this a generator) or we can create magnetism from electricity (we call this an electro-magnet). So it is rather trivial to bend electrons using magnetism.

Answer 4

Frank N is right, but did not explicitly note the wave-particle duality of electons and other subatomic particles. Heck yes, a beam of electons, manifesting their wavelike nature, can not only undergo refraction, but can also generate an inferference pattern EVEN WHEN fired through a double-slit apparatus ONE SINGLE ELECTRON at a time.

Answer 5

A beam of electrons passing through a magnetic field will be bent. Slower electrons will be bent more than faster ones. Is this what you mean?

Answer 6

absolutely, You just need to have a material light enough not to conduct rather than refract.
With light, glass or plastic is fine for refraction.
With electrons, I would think a high density gas would do it.
Hmmm..... O3? (Ozone)
I would be worried about reaction though.
A lot of materials are explosive and we ARE talking about "Arcing" electricity.
Any more than this, and I'd need to know more about why you would want to do this.
Are you trying to separate/filter electron wavelengths?
Not really necessary this way.
Your driver would dictate the frequency.
Now, particle accelerators are able to refract magnetically.
Slow moving particles bend more than faster moving ones.
But the how is different for energy level differences as opposed to speed differences.

Answer 7

Yes, they can be bent by particle accelerators, which steer them using magnets, and they can also by refracted by passing them through plasma.
http://unisci.com/stories/20012/0503012.htm

Answer 8

Yeah. by the use of magnets to deflect them. Or potential voltage.

Answer 9

yeah
according to the experment of J. J. Thomson {the invention of TV}