Evolutionary drive: The effect of microscopic diversity,error making,and noise

In order to model any macroscopic system, it is necessary to aggregate both spatially and taxonomically. If average processes are assumed, then kinetic equations of population dynamics can be derived. Much effort has gone into showing the important effects introduced by non-average effects (fluctuations) in generating symmetry-breaking transitions and creating structure and form. However, the effects of microscopic diversity have been largely neglected. We show that evolution will select for populations which retain variability, even though this is, at any given time, loss-making, predicting that we shall not observe populations with optimal behavior, but populations which can learn. This lesser short-term efficiency may be why natural diversity is so great. Evolution is seen to be driven by the noise to which it leads.     

On some frequent but controversial statements concerning the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations

Quite often the compatibility of the EPR correlations with the relativity theory has been questioned; it has been stated that the first in time of two correlated measurements instantaneously collapses the other subsystem; it has been suggested that a causal asymmetry is built into the Feynman propagator. However, the EPR transition amplitude, as derived from the S matrix, is Lorentz andCPT invariant; the correlation formula is symmetric in the two measurements irrespective of their time ordering, so that the link of the correlations is the Feynman zigzag, and that causality isCPT invariant at the microlevel; finally, although the Feynman propagator has theP andCT symmetries, no causal asymmetry follows from that. As for Stapp's views concerning process and becoming, and his Whiteheadean concept of an advancing front, I object that they belong to factlike macrophysics, and are refuted at the microlevel by the EPR phenomenology, which displays direct Fokker-like space-time connections. The reason for this is a radical one. The very blending of a space-time picture and of a probability calculus is a paradox. The only adequate paradigm is one denying objectivity to space-time—but this, of course, is also required by the complementary of the x and the k pictures, which only look compatible at the macrolevel. Therefore, the classical objectivity must yield in favor of intersubjectivity. Only the macroscopic preparing and measuring devices have factlike objectivity; the transition of the quantal system takes place beyond both thex and thek 4-spaces. Then, the intrinsic symmetries between retarded and advanced waves, and statistical prediction and retrodiction, entails that the future has no less (but no more) existence than the past. It is the future that is significant in creative process, the elementary forms of which should be termed precognition or psychokinesis—respectively symmetric to the factlike taboos that we can neither know into the future nor act into the past. It is gratifying that Robert Jahn, at the Engineering School of Princeton University, is conducting (after others) conclusive experiments demonstrating low level psychokinesis—a phenomenon implied by the very symmetry of the negentropy-information transition. So, what pierces the veil of maya is the (rare) occurrence of paranormal phenomena. The essential severance between act and potentia is not a spacelike advancing front, but the out of and the into factlike space-time. Finally, I do not feel that an adequate understanding of the EPR phenomenology requires going beyond the present status of relativistic quantum mechanics. Rather, I believe that the potentialities of this formalism have not yet been fully exploited.     

Quasigroups Connected with Clifford Groups

In Clifford groups, a nonassociative product is defined which leads to the definition of nonassociative groups. These nonassociative groups have matrix representations on the condition that the row by column product of two matrices is replaced by the column by column product. A nonassociative group of transformations connected with the Lorentz group is determined, together with its irreducible, double-valued matrix representation, whose matrices undergo the column by column product.     

Quantum-Monte-Carlo simulations for fermionic systems

The paper gives a general idea of Quantum-Monte-Carlo simulations for fermionic systems in higher dimensions. A basic trick is provided to avoid the minus-sign problems which in some form lead to unsurmountable difficulties in simulations, for example at lower temperatures and for larger system sizes.     

AN EXTENSION OF “POPPER'S EXPERIMENT” CAN TEST INTERPRETATIONS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

Karl Popper proposed a way to test whether a proposed relation of a quantum-mechanical state to perceived reality in the Copenhagen interpretation (CI) of quantum mechanics—namely that the state of a particle is merely an expression of what is known about the system—is in agreement with all experimental facts. A conceptual flaw in Popper's proposal is identified and an improved version of his experiment (called Extension step 1)—which fully serves its original purpose—is suggested. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest to perform this experiment. The results of this experiment predicted under the alternative assumptions that the CI or the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is correct are shown to be identical. Only after a further modification (called Extension step 2) (the use of an ion isolated from the macroscopic environment as particle detector) the predictions using the respective interpretations become qualitatively different. This is because what is known by a human observer H can fail as a basis for the prediction of the statistical distribution of measurement results within the MWI in special cases: The temporal evolution of a system un-entangled with H (like the isolated ion) can depend on another system's state components that are entangled with states ortogonal to H. Thus—within the CI—for H they are known not to exist. Yet H can infer their existence by studying the evolution of the ion.     

Fluctuation processes in the surface region of indium antimonide

Amplitudes of fluctuations in the surface potential in MOS structures are studied as a function of the state of the semiconductor substrate surface, the measurement frequency, and the intensity of background illumination. It is established that the dominant noise in the depletion-weak inversion region is generation-recombination noise produced by recharging of a deep impurity in the indium antimonide surface layer. In the strong inversion region explosive noise may be dominant. The relationship of the latter to structural defects of the semiconductor substrate is clarified. A model is proposed for generation of explosive noise in MOS-structures, based on the assumption of microplasma breakdown of the space charge region with an impurity defect atmosphere and phase readjustments of the matrix and oxide material. It is concluded that it is possible to reduce explosive noise in MOS-structures.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 60–65, September, 1988.The authors express their gratitude to I. I. Fefelova and B. G. Plomip for preparation of the MOS-structures.     

On the fifth forces

We discuss the possibility of fifth forces in relativistic gravitation theories of fourth order. The fifth force may be an analog to the weak forces in the theories of electroweak interactions.     

Cosmological surrealism: More than “eternal reality” is needed

Inflationary cosmology makes the universe eternal and provides for recurrent universe creation, ad infinitum — making it also plausible to assume that our Big Bang was also preceeded by others, etc.. However, GR tells us that in the parent universe's reference frame, the newborn universe's expansion will never start. Our picture of reality in spacetime has to be enlarged.Wolfson Distinguished Chair in Theoretical Physics.Also on leave from the University of Texas, Center for Particle Physics, Austin, Texas.     

Instead of particles and fields: A micro realistic quantum “smearon” theory

A fully micro realistic, propensity version of quantum theory is proposed, according to which fundamental physical entities—neither particles nor fields—have physical characteristics which determine probabilistically how they interact with one another (rather than with measuring instruments). The version of quantum smearon theory proposed here does not modify the equations of orthodox quantum theory: rather it gives a radically new interpretation to these equations. It is argued that (i) there are strong general reasons for preferrring quantum smearon theory to orthodox quantum theory; (ii) the proposed change in physical interpretation leads quantum smearon theory to make experimental predictions subtly different from those of orthodox quantum theory. Some possible crucial experiments are considered.     

Effect of pressure on the thermo-electromotive force of highly doped and compensated CdSnAs2〈Cu〉 with a deep acceptor level

For a fixed temperature of 300 K on a specimen of CdSnAs₂Cu acted upon by a uniform pressure of up to 1.5 GPa, the dependence of the thermo-electromotive force on the narrow band population is studied for the first time. In agreement with theory, the sign of the thermo-electromotive force is observed to change sign in the studied crystals. The limits of the validity of the narrow band approximation are refined.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 116–119, September, 1991.     

Standpoint cosmology

An unorthodox cosmology is based on a notion of standpoint, distinguishing past from future, realized through Hilbert-space representation of the complex conformai group for 3+1spacetime and associated coherent states. Physical (approximate) symmetry attaches to eight-parameter complex Poincaré displacements, interpretable as growth of standpoint age (one parameter), boost of matter energy-momentum in standpoint rest frame (three parameters) and displacement of matter location in a compact U(1)O(4)/O(3) spacetime attached to standpoint (four parameters). An initial condition (at big bang) is characterized by a huge dimensionless parameter that breaks dilation invariance. Four major length scales are recognized, called Planck, particle, lab, and Hubble, with separations controlled by ; all physical concepts, including spacetime, depend on wideness of scale separation.     

A proposal for new surface magnetism studies with a repolarization method

A new spectroscopic method to study surface magnetism is proposed. The method measures the time-evolution of spin polarization due to the magnetic coupling with polarized electron spins of unpolarized and slow radioactive probes. Because of the expectedly high sensitivity and efficiency, a large field of applications will be opened by using slow positive muons,¹²B nuclei, etc.     

Form of the Frequency Spectrum of Fluctuating Radiation in the Case of Interferometric Reception During Experiments on Radio Sounding of the Solar Corona

We study theoretically the profile of a spectral line of radiation which is received by an interferometer after propagation through a medium with developed turbulent structure. We derive a formula describing the resulting frequency spectrum of an initially monochromatic radiation after its propagation through a multi-scale medium with strong large-scale and weak small-scale irregularities. It is shown that the frequency spectrum observed in this case should comprise the main spectral line with Gaussian profile and wings decreasing according to a power law with index dependent on the orientation of the interferometer baseline with respect to the direction of regular drift of frozen-in irregularities of the medium. We analyze distortions of the spectral response of a very-long-baseline interferometer due to the effect of large-scale irregularities of a medium with developed turbulent structure on wideband radiation from extraterrestrial discrete radio sources. It is shown that if the amplitude fluctuations of the received radiation are weak, then the measured frequency spectrum contains information on the drift velocity and the index of the spatial spectrum of interplanetary plasma irregularities with scales from hundreds to thousands of kilometers.     

A sum-over-histories account of an EPR(B) experiment

We analyze a variant of the EPRB experiment within a framework for quantum mechanics that rests on a radical interpretation of the sum over histories. Within this framework, reality is (just as classically) a single history, e.g. a definite collection of particles undergoing definite motions; and quantum dynamics appears as a kind of stochastic law of motion for that history, a law formulated in terms of non-classical probability-amplitudes. No state vectors enter this framework, and their attendant nonlocality is therefore absent as well.1. That is, before pair creations and annihilations were discovered. (The electronic and nuclear spins might also be regarded as new aspects of their kinematics. But perhaps spin is better construed, within the sum-over-histories framework, as a quality of a more dynamical character, namely as a generalized sort of probability-amplitude.)2. A possible escape would be the so-called Everett interpretation, in which the collapse never occurs, but its effects are supposed to be recovered via a more careful analysis of closed systems in which measurement-like processes take place. Among other things, this approach tends to lead either to the view that nothing really happens [1] or to the view that everything really happens [2] (which perhaps is not that different from the former view).3. For example, the rule, collapse occurs along the past light cone (in the Heisenberg picture), appears to be consistent.4. And Bell's inequality shows thatany theory formulated in terms of an instantaneous state evolving in time would encounter the same trouble. Indeed, the trouble shows up even more glaringly if one adapts Bell's argument to spin-1 systems, using the results of Kochen and Specker[10]. In order to use the Kochen-Specker results in the EPR manner one needs a scheme for measuring the relevant observables, but this can be accomplished by means of suitably concatenated Stern-Gerlach analyzers with recombining beams [13]. Then, as Allen Stairs has pointed out [14], even the perfect correlations become impossible to reproduce, and no reference to probability theory is needed to establish a contradiction with locality. Recently, an analogous experiment using three spin 1/2 particles instead of two spin 1 particles has also been given [15].5. No technical problem obstructs an extension to fermionic fields (indeed the functional integral formalism for Quantum Field Theory is probably the most popular at present), but the realistic interpretation of the individual histories seems to get lost. One way out would be if all fermions were composites or collective excitations of fields quantized according to bosonic commutation relations. Another would be if the particle formulation were taken as basic, with the complementary field formulation being merely a mathematical artifice (at least for fermions).6. In the approach of Gell-Mann-Hartle and Griffiths for example, only a small subset of the possible partitions is granted meaning, in such a way that all interference terms are suppressed and quantum probabilities reduce to classical ones.7. In stating these rules we consider an idealized situation in which the spatio-temporal indeterminacy of particle-locationwithin a given one of our trajectories is ignored; or if you prefer, you can take the experiment as only a Gedanken one affording a simplified illustration of how EPR-like correlations are understood within the sum-over-histories framework. In this connection recall also that the semiclassical propagator is in fact exact for a free particle.8. This can be interpreted either as part of the specification of the initial conditions, or (as suggested by a referee) merely as an example of relativization of probabilities.9. Thus a state vector may be defined as an equivalence-class of sets of partial histories.10. One such generalization applies to open systems, for example to a particle in contact with a heat reservoir. For this example see [11], wherein the two-way path formalism of §5 above is used, and the influence of the reservoir results in an effective dynamics for the particle in which the forward and backward portions of its world-line are coupled to each other by a certain interaction term in the amplitude. In this type of situation a density-operator (though not a state vector ) can still be introduced, but it no longer summarizes all the relevant information about the past (and correspondingly its evolution lacks the Markov property that(t + dt) is determined by(t) alone). For quantum gravity, it may be that not even such a non-Markov will be exactly definable, and only the global probabilities themselves will make sense.11. Ironically it is just this property of the amplitudes which, as mentioned above, makes possible the introduction of the state vectors whose collapse then introduces such a strong appearance ofnonlocality into the theory.     

Comparison of the structure of island deposits of gold on NaCl produced by thermal vaporization and by cathode sputtering

A comparison was made of island deposits of gold on NaCl, produced by thermal vaporization (thermal Au/NaClid) and cathode sputtering (cathode Au/NaClid). In thermal Au/NaClid, two orientations of the gold microcrystals with respect to the NaCl (100) shear face were observed; multiply twinned particles were formed. In cathode Au/NaClid, only one orientation is present and the formation of complex particles is not observed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii Fizika, No. 11, pp. 46–50, November, 1971.     

Anti-photon

It should be apparent from the title of this article that the author does not like the use of the word photon, which dates from 1926. In his view, there is no such thing as a photon. Only a comedy of errors and historical accidents led to its popularity among physicists and optical scientists. I admit that the word is short and convenient. Its use is also habit forming. Similarly, one might find it convenient to speak of the aether or vacuum to stand for empty space, even if no such thing existed. There are very good substitute words for photon, (e.g., radiation or light), and for photonics (e.g., optics or quantum optics). Similar objections are possible to use of the word phonon, which dates from 1932. Objects like electrons, neutrinos of finite rest mass, or helium atoms can, under suitable conditions, be considered to be particles, since their theories then have viable non-relativistic and non-quantum limits. This paper outlines the main features of the quantum theory of radiation and indicates how they can be used to treat problems in quantum optics.It is a pleasure to join in the 60th birthday celebration of the Director, Herbert Walther, of the Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics at Garching, and wish him much happiness and many more years of his very great scientific creativity.     

Atomic versus ionized states in many-particle systems and the spectra of reduced density matrices: A model study

We study the spectrum of appropriate reduced density matrices for a model consisting of one quantum particle (electron) in a classical fluid (of protons) at thermal equilibrium. The quantum and classical particles interact by a shortrange, attractive potential such that the quantum particle can form atomic bound states with a single classical particle. We consider two models for the classical component: an ideal gas and the cell model of a fluid. We find that when the system is at low density the spectrum of the electron-proton pair density matrix has, in addition to a continuous part, a discrete part that is associated with atomic bound states. In the high-density limit the discrete eigenvalues disappear in the case of the cell model, indicating the existence of pressure ionization or a Mott effect according to a general criterion for characterizing bound and ionized electron-proton pairs in a plasma proposed recently by M. Girardeau. For the ideal gas model, on the other hand, eigenvalues remain even at high density.     

Edge Plasma Biasing Experiments on the CASTOR Tokamak: Spectroscopic Investigation and Microwave Measurements

The effects of edge plasma biasing have been recently investigated by different spectroscopic diagnostics on the CASTOR tokamak. Measurements in visible, VUV and XUV ranges complement the knowledge of processes during a biasing phase, and confirm the occurrence of several types of plasma biasing regimes — so called radiating regime, non-radiating regime, and reduced H regime. The use of edge plasma biasing to study the possibility of Electron Bernstein Wave conversion has been demonstrated.     

Strengthening of some spinodal binary and pseudobinary copper alloys

Age hardening and microstructure (TEM) in the Cu-Ni-Sn and Cu-Ti alloys is studied. The annealing curves with a plateau and a double peak are discussed with respect to the structure development.     

Singularity and unanimity

Examples are adduced which lead one to ask if the following rule of unanimity makes sense: Given, a classical dynamical problem. Given, that all solutions of the equations of motion (a) run into a singularity [or (b) are free of singularity], except a set of measure zero. Then (rule of unanimity), all solutions of the corresponding quantum mechanical problem are (a) singular [or (b) free of singularity]. If valid, this rule would imply that quantization of Einstein's standard general relativity model for a closed universe gives no escape from the singularity of gravitational collapse.Dedicated to Achille Papapetrou on the occasion of his retirement.