Download or read book Theory and Applications of the Poincar Group written by Young Suh Kim and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Special relativity and quantum mechanics, formulated early in the twentieth century, are the two most important scientific languages and are likely to remain so for many years to come. In the 1920's, when quantum mechanics was developed, the most pressing theoretical problem was how to make it consistent with special relativity. In the 1980's, this is still the most pressing problem. The only difference is that the situation is more urgent now than before, because of the significant quantity of experimental data which need to be explained in terms of both quantum mechanics and special relativity. In unifying the concepts and algorithms of quantum mechanics and special relativity, it is important to realize that the underlying scientific language for both disciplines is that of group theory. The role of group theory in quantum mechanics is well known. The same is true for special relativity. Therefore, the most effective approach to the problem of unifying these two important theories is to develop a group theory which can accommodate both special relativity and quantum mechanics. As is well known, Eugene P. Wigner is one of the pioneers in developing group theoretical approaches to relativistic quantum mechanics. His 1939 paper on the inhomogeneous Lorentz group laid the foundation for this important research line. It is generally agreed that this paper was somewhat ahead of its time in 1939, and that contemporary physicists must continue to make real efforts to appreciate fully the content of this classic work.
Download or read book A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics written by Stephen Wolfram and published by Wolfram Media. This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wolfram Physics Project is a bold effort to find the fundamental theory of physics. It combines new ideas with the latest research in physics, mathematics and computation in the push to achieve this ultimate goal of science. Written with Stephen Wolfram's characteristic expository flair, this book provides a unique opportunity to learn about a historic initiative in science right as it is happening. A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics includes an accessible introduction to the project as well as core technical exposition and rich, never-before-seen visualizations.
Download or read book The Cellular Automaton Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics written by Gerard 't Hooft and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-09-02 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the deterministic view of quantum mechanics developed by Nobel Laureate Gerard 't Hooft. Dissatisfied with the uncomfortable gaps in the way conventional quantum mechanics meshes with the classical world, 't Hooft has revived the old hidden variable ideas, but now in a much more systematic way than usual. In this, quantum mechanics is viewed as a tool rather than a theory. The author gives examples of models that are classical in essence, but can be analysed by the use of quantum techniques, and argues that even the Standard Model, together with gravitational interactions, might be viewed as a quantum mechanical approach to analysing a system that could be classical at its core. He shows how this approach, even though it is based on hidden variables, can be plausibly reconciled with Bell's theorem, and how the usual objections voiced against the idea of ‘superdeterminism' can be overcome, at least in principle. This framework elegantly explains - and automatically cures - the problems of the wave function collapse and the measurement problem. Even the existence of an “arrow of time" can perhaps be explained in a more elegant way than usual. As well as reviewing the author’s earlier work in the field, the book also contains many new observations and calculations. It provides stimulating reading for all physicists working on the foundations of quantum theory.
Download or read book Why Trust a Theory written by Radin Dardashti and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-14 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do we need to reconsider scientific methodology in light of modern physics? Has the traditional scientific method become outdated, does it need to be defended against dangerous incursions, or has it always been different from what the canonical view suggests? To what extent should we accept non-empirical strategies for scientific theory assessment? Many core aspects of contemporary fundamental physics are far from empirically well-confirmed. There is controversy on the epistemic status of the corresponding theories, in particular cosmic inflation, the multiverse, and string theory. This collection of essays is based on the high profile workshop 'Why Trust a Theory?' and provides interdisciplinary perspectives on empirical testing in fundamental physics from leading physicists, philosophers and historians of science. Integrating different contemporary and historical positions, it will be of interest to philosophers of science and physicists, as well as anyone interested in the foundations of contemporary science.
Download or read book Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics written by M. Ferrero and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many physicists quantum theory contains strong conceptual difficulties, while for others the apparent conclusions about the reality of our physical world and the ways in which we discover that reality remain philosophically unacceptable. This book focuses on recent theoretical and experimental developments in the foundations of quantum physics, including topics such as the puzzles and paradoxes which appear when general relativity and quantum mechanics are combined; the emergence of classical properties from quantum mechanics; stochastic electrodynamics; EPR experiments and Bell's Theorem; the consistent histories approach and the problem of datum uniqueness in quantum mechanics; non-local measurements and teleportation of quantum states; quantum non-demolition measurements in optics and matter wave properties observed by neutron, electron and atomic interferometry. Audience: This volume is intended for graduate students of physics and those interested in the foundations of quantum theory.
Download or read book Symmetries in Fundamental Physics written by Kurt Sundermeyer and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-07-23 with total page 806 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the course of the last century it has become clear that both elementary particle physics and relativity theories are based on the notion of symmetries. These symmetries become manifest in that the "laws of nature" are invariant under spacetime transformations and/or gauge transformations. The consequences of these symmetries were analyzed as early as in 1918 by Emmy Noether on the level of action functionals. Her work did not receive due recognition for nearly half a century, but can today be understood as a recurring theme in classical mechanics, electrodynamics and special relativity, Yang-Mills type quantum field theories, and in general relativity. As a matter of fact, as shown in this monograph, many aspects of physics can be derived solely from symmetry considerations. This substantiates the statement of E.P. Wigner "... if we knew all the laws of nature, or the ultimate Law of nature, the invariance properties of these laws would not furnish us new information." Thanks to Wigner we now also understand the implications of quantum physics and symmetry considerations: Poincare invariance dictates both the characteristic properties of particles (mass, spin, ...) and the wave equations of spin 0, 1/2, 1, ... objects. Further, the work of C.N. Yang and R. Mills reveals the consequences of internal symmetries as exemplified in the symmetry group of elementary particle physics. Given this pivotal role of symmetries it is thus not surprising that current research in fundamental physics is to a great degree motivated and inspired by considerations of symmetry. The treatment of symmetries in this monograph ranges from classical physics to now well-established theories of fundamental interactions, to the latest research on unified theories and quantum gravity.
Download or read book The Six Core Theories of Modern Physics written by Charles F. Stevens and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text presents a summary of the basic theoretical structures of classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, statistical physics, special relativity and modern field theories.
Download or read book Cosmology and String Theory written by Horaţiu Năstase and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-04-04 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cosmology describes the evolution of the Universe and is based on a description of its beginning from quantum fluctuations. String theory is the only known consistent theory of quantum gravity that can deal with the highest energy scales near the Planck energy, relevant for cosmology's beginning. As a result, only string theory can give a fully consistent picture of cosmological origins. This book describes the best current avenues for obtaining cosmology from string theory. It is aimed at graduate students, and also researchers, with some familiarity with cosmology and string theory, however no detailed knowledge is required.
Download or read book Angular Momentum Techniques in Quantum Mechanics written by V. Devanathan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-17 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A course in angular momentum techniques is essential for quantitative study of problems in atomic physics, molecular physics, nuclear physics and solid state physics. This book has grown out of such a course given to the students of the M. Sc. and M. Phil. degree courses at the University of Madras. An elementary knowledge of quantum mechanics is an essential pre-requisite to undertake this course but no knowledge of group theory is assumed on the part of the readers. Although the subject matter has group-theoretic origin, special efforts have been made to avoid the gro- theoretical language but place emphasis on the algebraic formalism dev- oped by Racah (1942a, 1942b, 1943, 1951). How far I am successful in this project is left to the discerning reader to judge. After the publication of the two classic books, one by Rose and the other by Edmonds on this subject in the year 1957, the application of angular momentum techniques to solve physical problems has become so common that it is found desirable to organize a separate course on this subject to the students of physics. It is to cater to the needs of such students and research workers that this book is written. A large number of questions and problems given at the end of each chapter will enable the reader to have a clearer understanding of the subject.
Download or read book The Electron written by David Hestenes and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1991-07-31 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: techniques, and raises new issues of physical interpretation as well as possibilities for deepening the theory. (3) Barut contributes a comprehensive review of his own ambitious program in electron theory and quantum electrodynamics. Barut's work is rich with ingenious ideas, and the interest it provokes among other theorists can be seen in the cri tique by Grandy. Cooperstock takes a much different approach to nonlinear field-electron coupling which leads him to conclusions about the size of the electron. (4) Capri and Bandrauk work within the standard framework of quantum electrodynamics. Bandrauk presents a valuable review of his theoretical approach to the striking new photoelectric phenomena in high intensity laser experiments. (5) Jung proposes a theory to merge the ideas of free-free transitions and of scattering chaos, which is becoming increasingly important in the theoretical analysis of nonlinear optical phenomena. For the last half century the properties of electrons have been probed primarily by scattering experiments at ever higher energies. Recently, however, two powerful new experimental techniques have emerged capable of giving alternative experimental views of the electron. We refer to (1) the confinement of single electrons for long term study, and (2) the interaction of electrons with high intensity laser fields. Articles by outstanding practitioners of both techniques are included in Part II of these Proceedings. The precision experiments on trapped electrons by the Washington group quoted above have already led to a Nobel prize for the most accurate measurements of the electron magnetic moment.
Download or read book Black Hole Physics written by V. Frolov and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 786 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is not an exaggeration to say that one of the most exciting predictions of Einstein's theory of gravitation is that there may exist "black holes": putative objects whose gravitational fields are so strong that no physical bodies or signals can break free of their pull and escape. The proof that black holes do exist, and an analysis of their properties, would have a significance going far beyond astrophysics. Indeed, what is involved is not just the discovery of yet another even if extremely remarkable, astro physical object, but a test of the correctness of our understanding of the properties of space and time in extremely strong gravitational fields. Theoretical research into the properties of black holes, and into the possible corol laries of the hypothesis that they exist, has been carried out with special vigor since the beginning of the 1970's. In addition to those specific features of black holes that are important for the interpretation of their possible astrophysical manifestations, the theory has revealed a number of unexpected characteristics of physical interactions involving black holes. By the middle of the 1980's a fairly detailed understanding had been achieved of the properties of the black holes, their possible astrophysical manifestations, and the specifics of the various physical processes involved. Even though a completely reliable detection of a black hole had not yet been made at that time, several objects among those scrutinized by astrophysicists were considered as strong candidates to be confirmed as being black holes.
Download or read book The Structure of Physics written by Carl F. von Weizsäcker and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-01-15 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is a newly arranged and revised English version of "Aufbau der Physik" by Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. Some original chapters and sections have been deleted, and a new chapter about further insights and results of ur-theoretic research of the late 1980’s and 1990’s has been included. Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker combines the perspectives of science, philosophy, religion and politics with a view towards the challenges as well as the responsibilities of our time.
Download or read book The Arrows of Time written by Laura Mersini-Houghton and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-05-30 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of time has fascinated humanity throughout recorded history, and it remains one of the biggest mysteries in science and philosophy. Time is clearly one of the fundamental building blocks of the universe and thus a deeper understanding of nature at a fundamental level also demands a comprehension of time. Furthermore, the origins of the universe are closely intertwined with the puzzle of time: Did time emerge at the Big Bang? Why does the arrow of time ‘conspire’ with the order of the initial state of the universe? This book addresses many of the most important questions about time: What is time, and is it fundamental or emergent? Why is there such an arrow of time, closely related to the initial state of the universe, and why do the cosmic, thermodynamic and other arrows agree? These issues are discussed here by leading experts, and each offers a new perspective on the debate. Their contributions delve into the most difficult research topic in physics, also describing the latest cutting edge research on the subject. The book also offers readers a comparison between the different outlooks of philosophy, physics and cosmology on the puzzle of time. This volume is intended to be useful for research purposes, but most chapters are also accessible to a more general audience of scientifically educated readers looking for deeper insights.
Download or read book A New Kind of Science written by Stephen Wolfram and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 1197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work presents a series of dramatic discoveries never before made public. Starting from a collection of simple computer experiments---illustrated in the book by striking computer graphics---Wolfram shows how their unexpected results force a whole new way of looking at the operation of our universe. Wolfram uses his approach to tackle a remarkable array of fundamental problems in science: from the origin of the Second Law of thermodynamics, to the development of complexity in biology, the computational limitations of mathematics, the possibility of a truly fundamental theory of physics, and the interplay between free will and determinism.
Download or read book The Problem of Time written by Edward Anderson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-09-18 with total page 917 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a treatise on time and on background independence in physics. It first considers how time is conceived of in each accepted paradigm of physics: Newtonian, special relativity, quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR). Substantial differences are moreover uncovered between what is meant by time in QM and in GR. These differences jointly source the Problem of Time: Nine interlinked facets which arise upon attempting concurrent treatment of the QM and GR paradigms, as is required in particular for a background independent theory of quantum gravity. A sizeable proportion of current quantum gravity programs - e.g. geometrodynamical and loop quantum gravity approaches to quantum GR, quantum cosmology, supergravity and M-theory - are background independent in this sense. This book's foundational topic is thus furthermore of practical relevance in the ongoing development of quantum gravity programs. This book shows moreover that eight of the nine facets of the Problem of Time already occur upon entertaining background independence in classical (rather than quantum) physics. By this development, and interpreting shape theory as modelling background independence, this book further establishes background independence as a field of study. Background independent mechanics, as well as minisuperspace (spatially homogeneous) models of GR and perturbations thereabout are used to illustrate these points. As hitherto formulated, the different facets of the Problem of Time greatly interfere with each others' attempted resolutions. This book explains how, none the less, a local resolution of the Problem of Time can be arrived at after various reconceptualizations of the facets and reformulations of their mathematical implementation. Self-contained appendices on mathematical methods for basic and foundational quantum gravity are included. Finally, this book outlines how supergravity is refreshingly different from GR as a realization of background independence, and what background independence entails at the topological level and beyond.
Download or read book Quantum Theory Concepts and Methods written by A. Peres and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-06-01 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many excellent books on quantum theory from which one can learn to compute energy levels, transition rates, cross sections, etc. The theoretical rules given in these books are routinely used by physicists to compute observable quantities. Their predictions can then be compared with experimental data. There is no fundamental disagreement among physicists on how to use the theory for these practical purposes. However, there are profound differences in their opinions on the ontological meaning of quantum theory. The purpose of this book is to clarify the conceptual meaning of quantum theory, and to explain some of the mathematical methods which it utilizes. This text is not concerned with specialized topics such as atomic structure, or strong or weak interactions, but with the very foundations of the theory. This is not, however, a book on the philosophy of science. The approach is pragmatic and strictly instrumentalist. This attitude will undoubtedly antagonize some readers, but it has its own logic: quantum phenomena do not occur in a Hilbert space, they occur in a laboratory.
Download or read book Weber s Electrodynamics written by Andre Koch Torres Assis and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Great progress has been made in electrical science, chiefly in Germany, by cultivators of the theory of action at a distance. The valuable electrical measurements of W. Weber are interpreted by him according to this theory, and the electromagnetic speculation which was originated by Gauss, and carried on by Weber, Riemann, F. and C. Neumann, Lorenz, etc. , is founded on the theory of action at a distance, but depending either directly on the relative velocity of the particles, or on the gradual propagation of something, whether potential or force, from the one particle to the other. The great success which these eminent men have attained in the application of mathematics to electrical phenomena, gives, as is natural, additional weight to their theoretical speculations, so that those who, as students of electricity, turn to them as the greatest authorities in mathematical electricity, would probably imbibe, along with their mathematical methods, their physical hypothesis. These physical hypotheses, however, are entirely alien from the way of looking at things which I adopt, and one object which I have in view is that some of those who wish to study electricity may, by reading this treatise, come to see that there is another way of treating the subject, which is no less fitted to explain the phenomena, and which, though in some parts it may appear less definite, corresponds, as I think, more faithfuHy with our actual knowledge, both in what it affirms and in what it leaves undecided.
