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Wave packet

In physics, a wave packet (also known as a wave train or wave group) is a short burst of localized wave action that travels as a unit, outlined by an envelope. A wave packet can be analyzed into, or can be synthesized from, a potentially-infinite set of component sinusoidal waves of different wavenumbers, with phases and amplitudes such that they interfere constructively only over a small region of space, and destructively elsewhere.[1] Any signal of a limited width in time or space requires many frequency components around a center frequency within a bandwidth inversely proportional to that width; even a gaussian function is considered a wave packet because its Fourier transform is a "packet" of waves of frequencies clustered around a central frequency.[2] Each component wave function, and hence the wave packet, are solutions of a wave equation. Depending on the wave equation, the wave packet's profile may remain constant (no dispersion) or it may change (dispersion) while propagating.

"Wave train" redirects here. For the mathematics concept, see Periodic travelling wave.

Learning materials related to wave packet motion at Wikiversity

The dictionary definition of wave packet at Wiktionary

1d Wave packet plot in Google

1d Wave train and probability density plot in Google

2d Wave packet plot in Google

2d Wave train plot in Google

2d probability density plot in Google

Quantum physics online : Interactive simulation of a free wavepacket

: Interactive 2D wave packet dynamics simulation

Web-Schrödinger

A simulation of a wave package in 2D (According to FOURIER-Synthesis in 2D)