65 research outputs found
Lorentz transformations of open systems
We consider open dynamical systems, subject to external interventions by
agents that are not completely described by the theory (classical or quantal).
These interventions are localized in regions that are relatively spacelike.
Under these circumstances, no relativistic transformation law exists that
relates the descriptions of the physical system by observers in relative
motion. Still, physical laws are the same in all Lorentz frames.Comment: Final version submitted to J. Mod. Opt. (Proc. of Gdansk conference
From Einstein's Theorem to Bell's Theorem: A History of Quantum Nonlocality
In this Einstein Year of Physics it seems appropriate to look at an important
aspect of Einstein's work that is often down-played: his contribution to the
debate on the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Contrary to popular opinion,
Bohr had no defence against Einstein's 1935 attack (the EPR paper) on the
claimed completeness of orthodox quantum mechanics. I suggest that Einstein's
argument, as stated most clearly in 1946, could justly be called Einstein's
reality-locality-completeness theorem, since it proves that one of these three
must be false. Einstein's instinct was that completeness of orthodox quantum
mechanics was the falsehood, but he failed in his quest to find a more complete
theory that respected reality and locality. Einstein's theorem, and possibly
Einstein's failure, inspired John Bell in 1964 to prove his reality-locality
theorem. This strengthened Einstein's theorem (but showed the futility of his
quest) by demonstrating that either reality or locality is a falsehood. This
revealed the full nonlocality of the quantum world for the first time.Comment: 18 pages. To be published in Contemporary Physics. (Minor changes;
references and author info added
Models of wave-function collapse, underlying theories, and experimental tests
We describe the state of the art in preparing, manipulating and detecting coherent molecular matter. We focus on experimental methods for handling the quantum motion of compound systems from diatomic molecules to clusters or biomolecules.Molecular quantum optics offers many challenges and innovative prospects: already the combination of two atoms into one molecule takes several well-established methods from atomic physics, such as for instance laser cooling, to their limits. The enormous internal complexity that arises when hundreds or thousands of atoms are bound in a single organic molecule, cluster or nanocrystal provides a richness that can only be tackled by combining methods from atomic physics, chemistry, cluster physics, nanotechnology and the life sciences.We review various molecular beam sources and their suitability for matter-wave experiments. We discuss numerous molecular detection schemes and give an overview over diffraction and interference experiments that have already been performed with molecules or clusters.Applications of de Broglie studies with composite systems range from fundamental tests of physics up to quantum-enhanced metrology in physical chemistry, biophysics and the surface sciences.Nanoparticle quantum optics is a growing field, which will intrigue researchers still for many years to come. This review can, therefore, only be a snapshot of a very dynamical process
On Locality in Quantum General Relativity and Quantum Gravity
The physical concept of locality is first analyzed in the special
relativistic quantum regime, and compared with that of microcausality and the
local commutativity of quantum fields. Its extrapolation to quantum general
relativity on quantum bundles over curved spacetime is then described. It is
shown that the resulting formulation of quantum-geometric locality based on the
concept of local quantum frame incorporating a fundamental length embodies the
key geometric and topological aspects of this concept. Taken in conjunction
with the strong equivalence principle and the path-integral formulation of
quantum propagation, quantum-geometric locality leads in a natural manner to
the formulation of quantum-geometric propagation in curved spacetime. Its
extrapolation to geometric quantum gravity formulated over quantum spacetime is
described and analyzed.Comment: Mac-Word file translated to postscript for submission. The author may
be reached at: [email protected] To appear in Found. Phys. vol. 27,
199
General Relativity As an Aether Theory
Most early twentieth century relativists --- Lorentz, Einstein, Eddington,
for examples --- claimed that general relativity was merely a theory of the
aether. We shall confirm this claim by deriving the Einstein equations using
aether theory. We shall use a combination of Lorentz's and Kelvin's conception
of the aether. Our derivation of the Einstein equations will not use the
vanishing of the covariant divergence of the stress-energy tensor, but instead
equate the Ricci tensor to the sum of the usual stress-energy tensor and a
stress-energy tensor for the aether, a tensor based on Kelvin's aether theory.
A crucial first step is generalizing the Cartan formalism of Newtonian gravity
to allow spatial curvature, as conjectured by Gauss and Riemann
Facts, Values and Quanta
Quantum mechanics is a fundamentally probabilistic theory (at least so far as
the empirical predictions are concerned). It follows that, if one wants to
properly understand quantum mechanics, it is essential to clearly understand
the meaning of probability statements. The interpretation of probability has
excited nearly as much philosophical controversy as the interpretation of
quantum mechanics. 20th century physicists have mostly adopted a frequentist
conception. In this paper it is argued that we ought, instead, to adopt a
logical or Bayesian conception. The paper includes a comparison of the orthodox
and Bayesian theories of statistical inference. It concludes with a few remarks
concerning the implications for the concept of physical reality.Comment: 30 pages, AMS Late
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