Stern-Gerlach Experiment’s Interpretations and Noether’s Theorem

In this paper we suggest that theories treating two interacting objects in a different manner (for instance electromagnetic field of a laser classically, and the interacting atom as a quantum object) should be called “mixed”. Mixed theories are not so rare in Physics. One just should look at the whole area of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics in which mixed theories are often used, and, also, theories including quantum object interacting with classical surroundings that are the subject of our present discussion: the field of Quantum decoherence, when applied to resolving the dilemma should classical trajectories be used in explaining the Stern-Gerlach experiment or not. Consequently we are proving one improved corollary to Noether’s theorem, stating that mixed theories are not supporting the law of conservation of angular momentum and spin, as they are not based on the isotropy of space-time.     

Concepts of Time in Physics: A Synopsis

I summarize the historical development of concepts of time in physics from antiquity to the end of the twentieth century. Editors’ Note: Max Jammer received the American Physical Society/American Institute of Physics Abraham Pais Prize for the History of Physics for 2007, “For his groundbreaking historical studies of fundamental concepts in physics, including his comprehensive account of the development of quantum mechanics.” We publish here his Pais Prize Lecture, which was presented at the APS meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 16, 2007.     

In Appreciation

Leslie Foldy’s diminutive stature and modest demeanor gave little clue to the powerful intellect responsible for several significant advances in theoretical physics.Two were particularly important. His 1945 theory of the multiple scattering of waves laid out the fundamentals that most modern theories have followed (and sometimes rediscovered), while his work with Siegfried Wouthuysen on the nonrelativistic limit of the Dirac equation opened the way to a wealth of valuable insights. In this article we recall some of the milestones along Foldy’s path through a life in physics. Some of the anecdotes we report here were related to one of the authors (PLT) just before an event in 2000 celebrating Foldy’s 80th birthday, while others were told to us over the course of the nearly forty years during which we were colleagues. Still others were uncovered during the course of WJF’s research for his book, Physics at a Research University: Case Western Reserve 1830–1990 (Cleveland: Case Western Reserve University, 2006). Other details were provided by Foldy’s widow, Roma. Philip L. Taylor is the Perkins Professor of Physics and Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. William J. Fickinger is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Case Western Reserve University.     

An arena for model building in the Cohen—Glashow very special relativity

The Cohen—Glashow Very Special Relativity (VSR) algebra is defined as the part of the Lorentz algebra which upon addition of CP or T invariance enhances to the full Lorentz group, plus the space—time translations. We show that noncommutative space—time, in particular noncommutative Moyal plane, with light- like noncommutativity provides a robust mathematical setting for quantum field theories which are VSR invariant and hence set the stage for building VSR invariant particle physics models. In our setting the VSR invariant theories are specified with a single deformation parameter, the noncommutativity scale ╕_NC. Preliminary analysis with the available data leads to ╕_NC ≳ 1–10 TeV.     

Fantappié-Arcidiacono Spacetime and Its Consequences in Quantum Cosmology

Einstein’s gravitational theory gave rise to a new conception of the Universe and Cosmology has been enclosed in the realm of Science and not only of Philosophy as before the Einstein work. Despite this, the presence of the Big Bang singularity, flatness and horizon problems led to the statement that Standard Cosmological Model, based on General Relativity and Standard Model of particle physics, is inadequate to describe the Universe in extreme regimes. Due to this facts, alternative gravitational theories and alternative approaches to cosmology have been proposed during the years. One of the most fruitful approach has been that of Projective Relativity and, in this paper, we analyze the developments of this theory. Projective Relativity, initially proposed by Fantappié and subsequently developed by Arcidiacono, has been recently revisited by prof. Ignazio Licata and other authors. The cosmological consequences of such extension appear relevant. In the following, we analyze the effects of the group approach on the metrics and on the dynamics and we will consider its properties in connection with varying speed of light.     

Double-Slit Interference Pattern from Single-Slit Screen and Its Gravitational Analogues

The double slit experiment (DSE) is known as an important cornerstone in the foundations of physical theories such as Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity. A large number of different variants of it were designed and performed over the years. We perform and discuss here a new version with the somewhat unexpected results of obtaining interference pattern from single-slit screen. We show using either the Brill’s version of the canonical formulation of general relativity or the linearized version of it that one may find corresponding and analogous situations in the framework of general relativity.     

Quantum bound states around black holes

Quantum mechanics in the vicinity of black holes is a fascinating field of theoretical physics. It involves both general relativity and particle physics, opening new eras to establish the principles of unified theories. In this article, we show that quantum bound states with no classical equivalent – as can easily be seen at the dominant monopolar order – should be formed around black holes for massive scalar particles. We qualitatively investigate some important physical consequences, in particular for the Hawking evaporation mechanism and the associated greybody factors. PACS 04.62.+v; 04.70.Dy; 04.70-s     

Topics in Noncommutative Geometry Inspired Physics

In this review article we discuss some of the applications of noncommutative geometry in physics that are of recent interest, such as noncommutative many-body systems, noncommutative extension of Special Theory of Relativity kinematics, twisted gauge theories and noncommutative gravity.     

Effects of an additional dimension in the Young experiment

The results of the Young experiment can be analyzed either by classical or Quantum Physics. The later one though leads to a more complete interpretation, based on two different patterns that appear when one works either with single or double slits. Here we show that the two patterns can be derived from a single principle, in the context of General Relativity, if one assumes an additional spatial dimension to the four known today. The found equations yield the same results as those in Quantum Mechanics.     

Republication of: Relativistic cosmology

This is a republication of a paper by G.F.R. Ellis first published in Proceedings of the International School of Physics: General Relativity and Cosmology, 1971, in which he formulated the framework for relativistic cosmology with an arbitrary background geometry. The article has been selected for publication in the Golden Oldies series of General Relativity and Gravitation. The paper is accompanied by a Golden Oldie Editorial comprising an editorial note written by Bill Stoeger and Ellis’ brief autobiography. Original paper: G. F. R. Ellis: Relativistic cosmology, In: Sachs, R.K. (ed.) Proceedings of the International School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course 47: General relativity and cosmology, pp. 104–182. Academic Press, New York and London (1971). Reprinted with the kind permission of Elsevier Ltd, the current owner of the Academic Press copyright, and of the author.     

Quantum field theory overcomes Einstein's objections against quantum mechanics

It is shown that if zero-point oscillations are assumed to exist, quantum field theory will lack the determinism of classical physics. Scientific Research Institute for Nuclear Physics, Moscow University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 71–74, May, 1996.     

TheARGO project: Scientific targets, first results and future perspectives

Summary The ARGO program consists of a balloon-borne mm and sub-mm telescope, devoted to the observation of diffuse radiation in the wavelenth range between 2 mm and 300 μm, at angular scales between 10′ and 5°. We review here the impact of such observations in different fields ranging from Atmospheric Physics to Cosmology. We also quote the results obtained from ARGO's first flight in 1989, and we describe the improved version of ARGO we are currently developing. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.     

决定物理学发展的六大思想——《Six Ideas That Shaped Physics》赏析

对《Six Ideas That Shaped Physics》(6卷本)这套优秀著作进行了深入的解读,从创作思想、课程体系安排和独到的特点3个方面,深入剖析了其为什么能够引领世界物理导论教学前沿的原因.该套丛书的六大思想对我国未来的物理教材建设和物理课堂教学改革具有重要的借鉴意义.     

On nonlinear gauge theories

In this note, we study non-linear gauge theories for principal bundles, where the structure group is replaced by a Lie groupoid. We follow the approach of Moerdijk–Mr?un and establish its relation with the existing physics literature. In particular, we derive a new formula for the gauge transformation which closely resembles and generalizes the classical formulas found in Yang Mills gauge theories.     

Bemerkungen zur Relativitätstheorie und zu den Quanten

Remarks on Relativity and on Quantum Theory The theoretical and experimental foundations of gravitation and quantum physics are discussed as well as the relation of these two theories and the role of basic notions like observables.     

Modeling Transverse Relative Locality

We investigate some aspects of relativistic classical theories with “relative locality”, in which pairs of events established to be coincident by nearby observers may be described as non-coincident by distant observers. While previous studies focused mainly on the case of longitudinal relative locality, where the effect occurs along the direction connecting the distant observer to the events, we here focus on transverse relative locality, in which instead the effect is found in a direction orthogonal to the one connecting the distant observer to the events. Our findings suggest that, at least for theories of free particles, transverse relative locality is as significant as longitudinal relative locality both conceptually and quantitatively. And we observe that “dual gravity lensing” can be viewed as one of two components of transverse relative locality. We also speculate about a type of spacetime noncommutativity for which transverse relative locality could be particularly significant.     

美国一流大学文科物理经典教材的特色与启示

对美国一流大学文科物理经典教材-的特色进行了全面的分析与评价.本文认为美国文科物理经典教材的编写模式,对我国高校文科物理教材建设具有一定的参考价值.     

Quantum theory as an indication of a new order in physics. Part A. The development of new orders as shown through the history of physics

In this paper, we discuss the general significance of order in physics, as a first step toward the development of new notions of order. We begin with a brief historical discussion of the notions of order underlying ancient Greek views, and then go on to show how these changed in key ways with the rise of classical physics. This leads to a broader view of the significance of order, which helps to indicate what is to be meant by a change of our general notions of order in physics. We then go into relativity and quantum theory, showing how these developments actually did bring in further new notions of order, which are however inconsistent and otherwise inadequate in certain ways. Finally, using these inconsistencies and inadequacies as clues or indications for yet a further new concept of order, we make some proposals for novel directions of inquiry (to be discussed in some detail in later papers) which could lead to theories as different from relativity and quantum theory as these are from classical physics.     

Ettore Majorana’s Forgotten Publication on the Thomas-Fermi Model

We analyze the forgotten communication of Ettore Majorana (1906–1938?) on the Thomas-Fermi statistical model of the atom, which he presented on December 29, 1928, during the XXII General Meeting of the Italian Physical Society in Rome, and which was published in Il Nuovo Cimento, the Society’s journal, in 1929. His communication was not mentioned subsequently in any of the numerous publications of Enrico Fermi (1901–1954) and his group in Rome, nor in any of the later accounts of Majorana’s life and work. We place Majorana’s contribution within the context of contemporary research on the subject, point out its influence on the final formulation of the Thomas-Fermi statistical model by Fermi and Edoardo Amaldi (1908–1989) in 1934, and discuss Majorana’s other scientific contributions before his mysterious disappearance in 1938. Francesco Guerra is Professor of Theoretical Physics in the Department of Physics at the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” His main fields of research are quantum-field theory, statistical mechanics of complex systems, and the history of nuclear physics. Nadia Robotti is Professor of History of Physics in the Department of Physics at the University of Genoa. Her main fields of research are the history of atomic physics, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics.     

Rigid motions and generalized Newtonian gravitation

In an effort to contribute to a better understanding of General Relativity, here we lay the foundations of generalized Newtonian gravity, which unifies inertial forces and gravitational fields. We also formulate a kind of equivalence principle for this generalized Newtonian theory. Finally, we prove that the theory we propose here can be obtained as the non-relativistic limit of General Relativity.