Observations on Unstable Quantons, Hyperplane Dependence and Quantum Fields

There is persistent heterodoxy in the physics literature concerning the proper treatment of those quantons that are unstable against spontaneous decay. Following a brief litany of this heterodoxy, I develop some of the consequences of assuming that such quantons can exist, undecayed and isolated, at definite times and that their treatment can be carried out within a standard quantum theoretic state space. This assumption requires hyperplane dependence for the unstable quanton states and leads to clarification of some recent results concerning deviations from relativistic time dilation of decay lifetimes. In the course of the discussion I make some observations on the relationship of unstable quantons to quantum fields.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures, revised with added references, section 4 revise

On the Quantum Deviations from Einstein Dilation of Unstable Quanton Decay Evolution and Lifetimes

For over a decade several workers have argued for the existence of quantum deviations from the classical, Einstein dilation of the decay evolution of moving or Lorentz boosted unstable particles. While the general claim is correct, the discussions have been incomplete and, sometimes, misleading. The discussions have been of three kinds. Type 1 examines the time dependence of the survival probability for 3-momentum eigenstates of the unstable quanton (Khalfin). Type 2 does the same for velocity eigenstates, obtaining an outrageous result which then discredits velocity eigenstates (Shirokov / Hegerfeldt). Type 3 examines arbitrary boosts of 3-momentum eigenstates (Stefanovich). Type 1 is incomplete since the momentum eigenstates are not the boosts of one another. Type 2 is misleading since the outrageous result is due to misinterpreting the initial conditions of the velocity eigenstates (as I have previously argued). Type 3 is the most satisfactory, but has failed to recognize and implement the unification of all three types of discussion that can be achieved. In this paper I will provide that unified treatment, beginning with a recapitulation of Type 1 and offering further clarification of Type 2 in the process. The unified treatment fully reinstates velocity eigenstates as essential contributors to unstable quanton states. Besides discussing the time evolution of survival probabilities I also focus on the concept of lifetime defined as the average time of decay. This quantity is helpful in order to display the inequivalent dependence of dilation on momentum and boosts most sharply and the deviation from Einstein dilation most cleanly.Comment: 40 pages, 2 figure

Shirokov's contracting lifetimes and the interpretation of velocity eigenstates for unstable quantons

This paper is concerned with the interpretation of velocity eigenstates for unstable quantons, their relationship to space like momentum eigenstates for such quantons and the explanation of Shirokovs contracting lifetimes for such velocity eigenstates. It is an elaboration of a portion of the authors earlier study.Comment: 14 pages, three figures, section 5 revised, appendix added, sequel to arXiv:0903.183

Direct photon production with effective field theory

The production of hard photons in hadronic collisions is studied using Soft-Collinear Effective Theory (SCET). This is the first application of SCET to a physical, observable cross section involving energetic partons in more than two directions. A factorization formula is derived which involves a non-trivial interplay of the angular dependence in the hard and soft functions, both quark and gluon jet functions, and multiple partonic channels. The relevant hard, jet and soft functions are computed to one loop and their anomalous dimensions are determined to three loops. The final resummed inclusive direct photon distribution is valid to next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order (NNLL), one order beyond previous work. The result is improved by including non-logarithmic terms and photon isolation cuts through matching, and compared to Tevatron data and to fixed order results at the Tevatron and the LHC. The resummed cross section has a significantly smaller theoretical uncertainty than the next-to-leading fixed-order result, particularly at high transverse momentum.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figures; v2: references added, minor changes; v3: typos; v4: typos, corrections in (16), (47), (72

Heavy Flavour Physics at HERA - a Survey

At the HERA collider at DESY, high energy electron and positron beams interact with proton beams. A review is presented of the variety of ways in which these collisions produce final states containing charm and beauty quarks.Comment: 45 pages including 30 figures. Submitted to International Journal of Modern Physics

Robots and Organization Studies: Why Robots Might Not Want to Steal Your Job

A number of recent high-profile studies of robotics and artificial intelligence (or AI) in economics and sociology have predicted that many jobs will soon disappear due to automation, with few new ones replacing them. While techno-optimists and techno-pessimists contest whether a jobless future is a positive development or not, this paper points to the elephant in the room. Despite successive waves of computerization (including advanced machine learning), jobs have not disappeared. And probably won’t in the near future. To explain why, some basic insights from organization studies can make a contribution. I propose the concept of ‘bounded automation’ to demonstrate how organizational forces mould the application of technology in the employment sector. If work does not vanish in the age of AI, then poorly paid jobs will most certainly proliferate, I argue. Finally, a case is made for the scholarly community to engage with wider social justice concerns. This I term public organization studies

Analytic philosophy for biomedical research: the imperative of applying yesterday's timeless messages to today's impasses

The mantra that "the best way to predict the future is to invent it" (attributed to the computer scientist Alan Kay) exemplifies some of the expectations from the technical and innovative sides of biomedical research at present. However, for technical advancements to make real impacts both on patient health and genuine scientific understanding, quite a number of lingering challenges facing the entire spectrum from protein biology all the way to randomized controlled trials should start to be overcome. The proposal in this chapter is that philosophy is essential in this process. By reviewing select examples from the history of science and philosophy, disciplines which were indistinguishable until the mid-nineteenth century, I argue that progress toward the many impasses in biomedicine can be achieved by emphasizing theoretical work (in the true sense of the word 'theory') as a vital foundation for experimental biology. Furthermore, a philosophical biology program that could provide a framework for theoretical investigations is outlined