Wien Peaks, Planck Distribution Function and Its Decomposition, The
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Hendrik Antoon Lorentz's Struggle with Quantum Theory A. J
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz’s struggle with quantum theory A. J. Kox Archive for History of Exact Sciences ISSN 0003-9519 Volume 67 Number 2 Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. (2013) 67:149-170 DOI 10.1007/s00407-012-0107-8 1 23 Your article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works, as long as the author of the original work is cited. You may self- archive this article on your own website, an institutional repository or funder’s repository and make it publicly available immediately. 1 23 Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. (2013) 67:149–170 DOI 10.1007/s00407-012-0107-8 Hendrik Antoon Lorentz’s struggle with quantum theory A. J. Kox Received: 15 June 2012 / Published online: 24 July 2012 © The Author(s) 2012. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract A historical overview is given of the contributions of Hendrik Antoon Lorentz in quantum theory. Although especially his early work is valuable, the main importance of Lorentz’s work lies in the conceptual clarifications he provided and in his critique of the foundations of quantum theory. 1 Introduction The Dutch physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853–1928) is generally viewed as an icon of classical, nineteenth-century physics—indeed, as one of the last masters of that era. Thus, it may come as a bit of a surprise that he also made important contribu- tions to quantum theory, the quintessential non-classical twentieth-century develop- ment in physics. The importance of Lorentz’s work lies not so much in his concrete contributions to the actual physics—although some of his early work was ground- breaking—but rather in the conceptual clarifications he provided and his critique of the foundations and interpretations of the new ideas. -
Philosophical Rhetoric in Early Quantum Mechanics, 1925-1927
b1043_Chapter-2.4.qxd 1/27/2011 7:30 PM Page 319 b1043 Quantum Mechanics and Weimar Culture FA 319 Philosophical Rhetoric in Early Quantum Mechanics 1925–27: High Principles, Cultural Values and Professional Anxieties Alexei Kojevnikov* ‘I look on most general reasoning in science as [an] opportunistic (success- or unsuccessful) relationship between conceptions more or less defined by other conception[s] and helping us to overlook [danicism for “survey”] things.’ Niels Bohr (1919)1 This paper considers the role played by philosophical conceptions in the process of the development of quantum mechanics, 1925–1927, and analyses stances taken by key participants on four main issues of the controversy (Anschaulichkeit, quantum discontinuity, the wave-particle dilemma and causality). Social and cultural values and anxieties at the time of general crisis, as identified by Paul Forman, strongly affected the language of the debate. At the same time, individual philosophical positions presented as strongly-held principles were in fact flexible and sometimes reversible to almost their opposites. One can understand the dynamics of rhetorical shifts and changing strategies, if one considers interpretational debates as a way * Department of History, University of British Columbia, 1873 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z1; [email protected]. The following abbreviations are used: AHQP, Archive for History of Quantum Physics, NBA, Copenhagen; AP, Annalen der Physik; HSPS, Historical Studies in the Physical Sciences; NBA, Niels Bohr Archive, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen; NW, Die Naturwissenschaften; PWB, Wolfgang Pauli, Wissenschaftlicher Briefwechsel mit Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg a.o., Band I: 1919–1929, ed. A. Hermann, K.V. -
Von Richthofen, Einstein and the AGA Estimating Achievement from Fame
Von Richthofen, Einstein and the AGA Estimating achievement from fame Every schoolboy has heard of Einstein; fewer have heard of Antoine Becquerel; almost nobody has heard of Nils Dalén. Yet they all won Nobel Prizes for Physics. Can we gauge a scientist’s achievements by his or her fame? If so, how? And how do fighter pilots help? Mikhail Simkin and Vwani Roychowdhury look for the linkages. “It was a famous victory.” We instinctively rank the had published. However, in 2001–2002 popular French achievements of great men and women by how famous TV presenters Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff published they are. But is instinct enough? And how exactly does a great man’s fame relate to the greatness of his achieve- ment? Some achievements are easy to quantify. Such is the case with fighter pilots of the First World War. Their achievements can be easily measured and ranked, in terms of their victories – the number of enemy planes they shot down. These aces achieved varying degrees of fame, which have lasted down to the internet age. A few years ago we compared1 the fame of First World War fighter pilot aces (measured in Google hits) with their achievement (measured in victories); and we found that We can estimate fame grows exponentially with achievement. fame from Google; Is the same true in other areas of excellence? Bagrow et al. have studied the relationship between can this tell us 2 achievement and fame for physicists . The relationship Manfred von Richthofen (in cockpit) with members of his so- about actual they found was linear. -
On the Linkage Between Planck's Quantum and Maxwell's Equations
The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy 25 years, K.V. Laurikainen Honorary Symposium, Helsinki 11.-12.11.2013 On the Linkage between Planck's Quantum and Maxwell's Equations Tuomo Suntola Physics Foundations Society, www.physicsfoundations.org Abstract The concept of quantum is one of the key elements of the foundations in modern physics. The term quantum is primarily identified as a discrete amount of something. In the early 20th century, the concept of quantum was needed to explain Max Planck’s blackbody radiation law which suggested that the elec- tromagnetic radiation emitted by atomic oscillators at the surfaces of a blackbody cavity appears as dis- crete packets with the energy proportional to the frequency of the radiation in the packet. The derivation of Planck’s equation from Maxwell’s equations shows quantizing as a property of the emission/absorption process rather than an intrinsic property of radiation; the Planck constant becomes linked to primary electrical constants allowing a unified expression of the energies of mass objects and electromagnetic radiation thereby offering a novel insight into the wave nature of matter. From discrete atoms to a quantum of radiation Continuity or discontinuity of matter has been seen as a fundamental question since antiquity. Aristotle saw perfection in continuity and opposed Democritus’s ideas of indivisible atoms. First evidences of atoms and molecules were obtained in chemistry as multiple proportions of elements in chemical reac- tions by the end of the 18th and in the early 19th centuries. For physicist, the idea of atoms emerged for more than half a century later, most concretely in statistical thermodynamics and kinetic gas theory that converted the mole-based considerations of chemists into molecule-based considerations based on con- servation laws and probabilities. -
The Splendors (And No Miseries) of Mass Spectrometry
Image: David Monniaux, Wikipedia Image: Wired Center for Industrial Mathematics Image: Wikipedia Image: ION-TOF.com The Splendors (and no Miseries) of Mass Spectrometry Theodore Alexandrov Center for Industrial Mathematics, University of Bremen Winterseminar, Alghero, Sardinia, Italy 23 Sep 2009 Image: ION-TOF GmbH Image: www.electrotherapymuseum.com Center for Industrial Did you know that? Mathematics Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique of analytical chemistry that identifies the elemental composition of sample based on mass-to- charge ratio of charged particles. Did you know that MS is used to – Detect and identify the use of drugs of abuse (dopings) in athletes – Identification of explosives and analysis of explosives in postblast residues – Analyse suspicious powders following the post 9/11 anthrax scare – Monitor the breath of patients by anesthesiologists during surgery – and … 2of 14 Center for Industrial T. Rex: just a big chicken? Mathematics A sample of a bone of Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered in 2000 (sample MOR 1125) 68 million years old Soft tissues were inside the bone A sample was demineralized and studied in a mass-spectrometer Several fragments were found which are very similar to collagen—the most common protein found in bones—from birds, specifically chickens! Wired, 22.06.09 (http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/magazine/17-07/ff_originofspecies) 3of 14 Center for Industrial T. Rex: just a big chicken? Mathematics 4of 14 Center for Industrial Early history of MS Mathematics Eugen Goldstein (Potsdam) 1886: invented Kanalstrahlen (anode/channel/positive rays) (-) Image: Michael Hedenus, Der Komet in der Entladungsröhre (+) Image: www.electrotherapymuseum.com Wilhelm Wien (RWTH Aachen,Würzburg,Munich) experimented with anode rays in a magnetic field separated canal rays (ions) according to their mass-to-charge ratio It might be expedient to “abandon the terms cathod rays, canal rays and positive light and to speak only of positive and negative particles". -
Quantum Theory, Quantum Mechanics) Part 1
Quantum physics (quantum theory, quantum mechanics) Part 1 1 Outline Introduction Problems of classical physics Black-body Radiation experimental observations Wien’s displacement law Stefan – Boltzmann law Rayleigh - Jeans Wien’s radiation law Planck’s radiation law photoelectric effect observation studies Einstein’s explanation Quantum mechanics Features postulates Summary Quantum Physics 2 Question: What do these have in common? lasers solar cells transistors computer chips CCDs in digital cameras Ipods superconductors ......... Answer: They are all based on the quantum physics discovered in the 20th century. 3 “Classical” vs “modern” physics 4 Why Quantum Physics? “Classical Physics”: developed in 15th to 20th century; provides very successful description “macroscopic phenomena, i.e. behavior of “every day, ordinary objects” o motion of trains, cars, bullets,…. o orbit of moon, planets o how an engine works,.. o Electrical and magnetic phenomena subfields: mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, “There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.” 5 --- William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), 1900 Why Quantum Physics? – (2) Quantum Physics: developed early 20th century, in response to shortcomings of classical physics in describing certain phenomena (blackbody radiation, photoelectric effect, emission and absorption spectra…) describes microscopic phenomena, e.g. behavior of atoms, photon-atom scattering and flow of the electrons in a semiconductor. -
Otto Stern Annalen 4.11.11
(To be published by Annalen der Physik in December 2011) Otto Stern (1888-1969): The founding father of experimental atomic physics J. Peter Toennies,1 Horst Schmidt-Böcking,2 Bretislav Friedrich,3 Julian C.A. Lower2 1Max-Planck-Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation Bunsenstrasse 10, 37073 Göttingen 2Institut für Kernphysik, Goethe Universität Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Strasse 1, 60438 Frankfurt 3Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin Keywords History of Science, Atomic Physics, Quantum Physics, Stern- Gerlach experiment, molecular beams, space quantization, magnetic dipole moments of nucleons, diffraction of matter waves, Nobel Prizes, University of Zurich, University of Frankfurt, University of Rostock, University of Hamburg, Carnegie Institute. We review the work and life of Otto Stern who developed the molecular beam technique and with its aid laid the foundations of experimental atomic physics. Among the key results of his research are: the experimental test of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of molecular velocities (1920), experimental demonstration of space quantization of angular momentum (1922), diffraction of matter waves comprised of atoms and molecules by crystals (1931) and the determination of the magnetic dipole moments of the proton and deuteron (1933). 1 Introduction Short lists of the pioneers of quantum mechanics featured in textbooks and historical accounts alike typically include the names of Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Arnold Sommerfeld, Niels Bohr, Max von Laue, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, Paul Dirac, Max Born, and Wolfgang Pauli on the theory side, and of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Ernest Rutherford, Arthur Compton, and James Franck on the experimental side. However, the records in the Archive of the Nobel Foundation as well as scientific correspondence, oral-history accounts and scientometric evidence suggest that at least one more name should be added to the list: that of the “experimenting theorist” Otto Stern. -
Arxiv:2003.05894V1 [Physics.Hist-Ph] 9 Mar 2020 Quacy, As Paul Ehrenfest Did in the 1930S.[2] Have Been Lucky
The problem of scientific greatness and the role of ordinary scientists Nathan Hagen, 2020-Mar-13 Abstract: Textbooks in physics use science history to humanize the subject and motivate stu- dents for learning, but they deal exclusively with the heroes of the field and ignore the vast majority of scientists who have not found their way into history. What is the role of these invis- ible scientists — are they merely the worker ants in the colony of science, whose main utility is to facilitate the heroes of the field? 1 Introduction colleagues’ names has not survived, their efforts have never- theless been essential for the advances achieved by science. As students of the sciences, we start our studies filled with enthusiasm and ambition, drinking up technical de- tails while reading about the theories and experiments of 2 What makes a scientist great? our great predecessors — Newton, Darwin, Einstein, et al. After years of study, as we gain in ability and reach the fron- Some geniuses stand so far above us in their insights that tiers of knowledge in our chosen disciplines, we encounter they seem alien in their ability. Isaac Newton formulated the harsh realities of research and struggle to push forward. the laws of motion, discovered a mathematical description While some succeed and receive the accolades of their peers, of gravity, created calculus, invented the first practical re- many give up and leave science altogether, some tire of the flecting telescope, built the theory of color based on the light struggle and focus on teaching, while others push on with- spectrum, and added a host of other scientific accomplish- out wide recognition of their work. -
{How Sommerfeld Extended Bohr's Model of the Atom (1913–1916)}
See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263003051 How Sommerfeld extended Bohr's model of the atom (1913-1916) Article in European Physical Journal H, The · December 2013 DOI: 10.1140/epjh/e2013-40052-4 CITATIONS READS 12 33,525 1 author: Michael Eckert Deutsches Museum 160 PUBLICATIONS 524 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Fluid mechanics View project History of Physics View project All content following this page was uploaded by Michael Eckert on 25 November 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Eur. Phys. J. H 39, 141–156 (2014) THE EUROPEAN DOI: 10.1140/epjh/e2013-40052-4 PHYSICAL JOURNAL H How Sommerfeld extended Bohr’s model of the atom (1913–1916) Michael Eckerta Deutsches Museum, D-80306 Munich, Germany Received 13 December 2013 / Received in final form 17 December 2013 Published online 30 January 2014 c EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag 2014 Abstract. Sommerfeld’s extension of Bohr’s atomic model was moti- vated by the quest for a theory of the Zeeman and Stark effects. The crucial idea was that a spectral line is made up of coinciding frequencies which are decomposed in an applied field. In October 1914 Johannes Stark had published the results of his experimental investigation on the splitting of spectral lines in hydrogen (Balmer lines) in electric fields, which showed that the frequency of each Balmer line becomes decom- posed into a multiplet of frequencies. The number of lines in such a decomposition grows with the index of the line in the Balmer series. -
Sir Arthur Eddington and the Foundations of Modern Physics
Sir Arthur Eddington and the Foundations of Modern Physics Ian T. Durham Submitted for the degree of PhD 1 December 2004 University of St. Andrews School of Mathematics & Statistics St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland 1 Dedicated to Alyson Nate & Sadie for living through it all and loving me for being you Mom & Dad my heroes Larry & Alice Sharon for constant love and support for everything said and unsaid Maggie for making 13 a lucky number Gram D. Gram S. for always being interested for strength and good food Steve & Alice for making Texas worth visiting 2 Contents Preface … 4 Eddington’s Life and Worldview … 10 A Philosophical Analysis of Eddington’s Work … 23 The Roaring Twenties: Dawn of the New Quantum Theory … 52 Probability Leads to Uncertainty … 85 Filling in the Gaps … 116 Uniqueness … 151 Exclusion … 185 Numerical Considerations and Applications … 211 Clarity of Perception … 232 Appendix A: The Zoo Puzzle … 268 Appendix B: The Burying Ground at St. Giles … 274 Appendix C: A Dialogue Concerning the Nature of Exclusion and its Relation to Force … 278 References … 283 3 I Preface Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is perhaps the most significant development in the history of modern cosmology. It turned the entire field of cosmology into a quantitative science. In it, Einstein described gravity as being a consequence of the geometry of the universe. Though this precise point is still unsettled, it is undeniable that dimensionality plays a role in modern physics and in gravity itself. Following quickly on the heels of Einstein’s discovery, physicists attempted to link gravity to the only other fundamental force of nature known at that time: electromagnetism. -
A Science of Signals with Implica- Signals … Through Empty Space” Investigated by Einstein Tions for Telecommunication Technologies
determining time but not limited to them. Einstein expanded his work from its initial focus on time signaling to signaling A Science of in general. In the process, he learned that neither love nor time could travel at speeds faster than that of light. Einstein often claimed that his theory seemed strange Signals only because in our “everyday life” we did not experience delays in the transmission speed of light signals: “One would Einstein, Inertia and the Postal have noticed this [relativity theory] long ago, if, for the System practical experience of everyday life light did not appear” to be infinitely fast.4 But precisely this aspect of everyday life was changing apace with the spread of new electromagnetic Jimena Canales communication technologies, particularly after World War I. The expansion of electromagnetic communication technolo- What do the speed of light and inertia have in common? gies and their reach into everyday life occurred in exact According to the famous physicist Arthur Eddington, who parallel to the expansion and success of Einstein’s theory of led the expedition to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, relativity. Kafka, who used similar communications system they had a lot in common: “[the speed of light] is the speed at as Einstein and whose obsessive focus on “messengers” and which the mass of matter becomes infinite,” where “lengths their delays paralleled Einstein’s focus on “signals” and their contract to zero” and—most surprisingly—where “clocks delays, described the radical change he was seeing around stand still.”1 The speed of light “crops up in all kinds of him in the 1920s: problems whether light is concerned or not,” reaching all the way into the concept of inertia. -
Violation of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Violation of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle Koji Nagata1 and Tadao Nakamura2 1Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Korea E-mail: ko mi [email protected] 2Department of Information and− Computer− Science, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan E-mail: [email protected] ( Dated: July 28, 2015) Recently, violation of Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation in spin measurements is discussed [J. Erhart et al., Nature Physics 8, 185 (2012)] and [G. Sulyok et al., Phys. Rev. A 88, 022110 (2013)]. We derive the optimal limitation of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle in a specific two-level system (e.g., electron spin, photon polarizations, and so on). Some physical situation is that we would measure σx and σy, simultaneously. The optimality is certified by the Bloch sphere. We show that a violation of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle means a violation of the Bloch sphere in the specific case. Thus, the above experiments show a violation of the Bloch sphere when we use 1 as measurement outcome. This conclusion agrees with recent researches [K. Nagata, Int. J. Theor.± Phys. 48, 3532 (2009)] and [K. Nagata et al., Int. J. Theor. Phys. 49, 162 (2010)]. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta, 03.67.-a I. INTRODUCTION position σx and the standard deviation of momentum σp was derived by Earle Hesse Kennard [18] later that year The quantum theory (cf. [1—5]) gives accurate and at- and by Hermann Weyl [19] in 1928. times-remarkably accurate numerical predictions. Much Recently, Ozawa discusses universally valid reformu- experimental data has fit to quantum predictions for long lation of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle on noise time.