Talk-Polywell.org

https://scitechdaily.com/physicists-pro ... xists/amp/

Imaginary numbers are apparently necessary. How does this play with plasma physics?

Imaginary numbers [irrational would be more correct] are a necessity that arise to patch our primordial wrong belief that nature was based on a linear [Cartesian] type of math. As our understanding of more complex phenomena increased we hit the limit of the rational and Cartesian way of expressing natural phenomena that are instead better visualized with a Polar and Hyperbolic math. Thankfully Euler showed us the road with his formula and the derived fundamental identity "e^[i*PI]+1=0" that joined everything in a beautiful way and paved the road to full acceptance of the "reality of imaginary numbers".

That said, the article you linked seems to hint that quantum phenomena need to be treated as cyclical/wave phenomena. This is not new, as Schrodinger equations already contain the "i" term that clearly indicate a wave behavior. I believe that what the paper actually offered is not a new interpretation on the nature of quantum phenomena, but a proof that in the particle/wave duality of quantum phenomena, the wave nature (the irrational part) plays a role that cannot be neglected in the creation and manipulation of a quantum state. I can't be sure because I have no access to the paper, but from reading the abstracts of the researches I am fairly confident that this is the correct meaning of their experimental results.

As for your question on how this changes Plasma Physics, it doesn't change anything as the wave "side" of plasma/field interaction has been already fully understood and accepted and is an essential part to the correct solution of practically every plasma problems.