Evans / Thorndike Quantum Mechanics at the Crossroads

New Perspectives from History, Philosophy and Physics
1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-3-540-32665-6
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 250 Seiten

Reihe: The Frontiers Collection

This volume brings together leading quantum physicists to expound on the meaning and future directions of quantum mechanics. It offers new insights from different vantage points to tackle essential questions in quantum mechanics and its interpretation. All the authors have written for a broad readership, and the resulting volume will appeal to everyone wishing to keep abreast of new developments in quantum mechanics, as well as its history and philosophy.

James Evans is a historian of science and professor of physics at the University of Puget Sound. He is the author of The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy, as well of numerous articles on the history of physics. His scientific papers include studies of optical-mechanical analogies in the context of general relativity. Alan Thorndike is a professor of physics at the University of Puget Sound. His first field of research involved the behavior of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, but he is now engaged with experimental quantum optics.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Evans, James

Thorndike, Alan S.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface;6
2;Contents;8
3;List of Contributors;10
4;1 Introduction: Contexts and Challenges for Quantum Mechanics;12
4.1;1.1 Periodization of Quantum Mechanics;13
4.2;1.2 Determinism, Entanglement, Locality, and the Quantum – Classical Divide;18
4.3;1.3 Quantum Mechanics in the Baroque Age;25
4.4;References;29
5;2 Max Planck’s compromises on the way to and from the Absolute;32
5.1;2.1 Scientific;32
5.2;2.2 Personal;42
5.3;References;46
6;3 Atomic Waves in Private Practice;49
6.1;3.1 Family Life;51
6.2;3.2 The Modern World;53
6.3;3.3 Sibling Partnership;55
6.4;3.4 Benefits of War;57
6.5;3.5 Industry;60
6.6;3.6 Physique Redux;61
6.7;3.7 X-Ray Photoeffect;62
6.8;3.8 Relativistic Revelation;65
6.9;3.9 Matter Waves;66
6.10;3.10 Sinuous Legacy;68
6.11;Acknowledgements;71
6.12;References;71
7;4 A Complementary Opposition: Louis de Broglie and Werner Heisenberg;82
7.1;References;88
8;5 Schrödinger Against Particles and Quantum Jumps;90
8.1;Introduction;90
8.2;5.1 Dispensing with Particles;91
8.3;5.2 Getting Rid of Quantum Jumps;103
8.4;Conclusion;110
8.5;References;111
9;6 Aspects of Nonlocality in Quantum Mechanics;116
9.1;6.1 Introduction;116
9.2;6.2 The Superposition Principle and Entangled States;116
9.3;6.3 Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR);118
9.4;6.4 A Generalized Version of Bell’s Theorem;120
9.5;6.5 Experimental Tests of Bell’s Inequality;124
9.6;6.6 What Kind of Nonlocality is Implied by a Violation of Bell’s Inequality?;126
9.7;6.7 The Need for a Deeper Physics;128
9.8;References;130
10;7 Decoherence and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics;133
10.1;7.1 Introduction;133
10.2;7.2 Basics of Decoherence;134
10.3;7.3 Decoherence and the Measurement Problem;137
10.4;7.4 Resolution into Subsystems and the Closed-Universe Objection;143
10.5;7.5 Decoherence and Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics;144
10.6;7.6 Outlook;151
10.7;References;152
11;8 What Are Consistent Histories?;157
11.1;8.1 Introduction;157
11.2;8.2 How Does a System Get from a to b?;158
11.3;8.3 Testing for Consistent Histories;162
11.4;8.4 Conclusion;164
11.5;References;165
12;9 Bose–Einstein Condensation: Identity Crisis for Indistinguishable Particles;166
12.1;9.1 The Phenomenon of Bose–Einstein Condensation;166
12.2;9.2 How to Count Classical and Quantum Particles;168
12.3;9.3 Bose–Einstein Statistics and Planck’s Black-Body Spectrum;172
12.4;9.4 Why Photons Don’t Condense;172
12.5;9.5 Bose–Einstein Condensation and Entropy;174
12.6;9.6 Absolute Indistinguishability;174
12.7;9.7 Some Historical Remarks;175
12.8;9.8 What are the Conditions for Observing Bose – Einstein Condensation?;177
12.9;9.9 How to Cool to Bose–Einstein Condensation;179
12.10;9.10 Observation of Bose –Einstein Condensation;181
12.11;9.11 A Bose–Einstein Condensate Has a Macroscopic Wavefunction;182
12.12;9.12 Atom Lasers and Atom Amplification;185
12.13;9.13 Outlook;187
12.14;Acknowledgments;188
12.15;References;189
13;10 Quantum Fluctuations of Light: A Modern Perspective on Wave/ Particle Duality;190
13.1;10.1 Introduction;190
13.2;10.2 A Criterion for Nonclassicality;194
13.3;10.3 Light Sources and Their Fluctuations;196
13.4;10.4 Photon Antibunching: A Probe of Particle Fluctuations;199
13.5;10.5 Quadrature Squeezing: A Probe of Wave Fluctuations;202
13.6;10.6 Wave –Particle Correlations;206
13.7;10.7 A Concluding Comment;211
13.8;References;215
14;11 Quantum Entanglement as a Resource for Communication;220
14.1;11.1 What is Entanglement?;220
14.2;11.2 Entanglement in Communication;225
14.3;11.3 A Teleportation Experiment;233
14.4;11.4 Conclusion;236
14.5;References;236
15;12 The Three Cases of Doctor von Neumann;238
15.1;12.1 Setting the Stage;238
15.2;12.2 Von Neumann’s Three Enigmas;239
15.3;12.3 Three Lines of Investigation;241
15.4;12.4 The Last Chapter;246
15.5;References;247
16;About the Authors;249
17;Index;251