Probing the Quantum Vacuum

Probing the Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Holger Martin Gies
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Probing the Quantum Vacuum

Probing the Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Holger Martin Gies
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description


Probing the Quantum Vacuum

Probing the Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Walter Dittrich
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783662147078
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description


Probing the Quantum Vacuum

Probing the Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Walter Dittrich
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 354045585X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
This book is devoted to an investigation of the vacuum of quantum elec trodynamics (QED), relying on the perturbative effective action approach. If the vacuum is probed with external perturbations, the response of the system can be analyzed after averaging over the high energy degrees of freedom. This results in an effective description of the properties of the vacuum, which are comparable to the properties of a classical medium. We concentrate primarily on the physics of slowly varying fields or soft photons by integrating out the high energy degrees of freedom, i.e. the elec trons, employing Schwinger's proper time method. We derive a new represen tation of the one loop photon polarization tensor, coupling to all orders to an arbitrary constant electromagnetic field, fully maintaining the dependence on the complete set of invariants. On the basis of effective Lagrangians, we derive the light cone condition for low frequency photons propagating in strong fields. Our formalism can be extended to various external perturbations, such as temperature and Casimir situations. We give a proof of the "unified formula" for low energy phenom ena that describes the refractive indices of various perturbed quantum vacua. In the high energy domain, we observe similarities between a vacuum with a superstrong magnetic field and a magnetized plasma. The question of mea surability of the various effects is addressed; a violation of causality is not found.

Probing The Structure Of Quantum Mechanics: Nonlinearity, Nonlocality, Computation And Axiomatics

Probing The Structure Of Quantum Mechanics: Nonlinearity, Nonlocality, Computation And Axiomatics PDF Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814489409
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
During the last decade, scientists working in quantum theory have been engaging in promising new fields such as quantum computation and quantum information processing, and have also been reflecting on the possibilities of nonlinear behavior on the quantum level. These are challenging undertakings because (1) they will result in new solutions to important technical and practical problems that were unsolvable by the classical approaches (for example, quantum computers can calculate problems that are intractable if one uses classical computers); and (2) they open up new 'hard' problems of a fundamental nature that touch the foundation of quantum theory itself (for example, the contradiction between locality and nonlinearity and the interpretation of quantum computing as a universal process).In this book, one can distinguish two main streams of research to approach the just-mentioned problem field: (1) a theoretical structural part, which concentrates on the elaboration of a nonlinear quantum mechanics and the fundamentals of quantum computation; and (2) a theoretical experimental part, which focuses on the theoretical aspects of applications that arise from new technology and novel research perspectives such as quantum optics and quantum cryptography. Particular attention is also paid to the measurement problem, the classical limit and alternative interpretations (such as the hidden measurement approach).

The Quantum Vacuum

The Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Peter W. Milonni
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080571492
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 539

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Book Description
In modern physics, the classical vacuum of tranquil nothingness has been replaced by a quantum vacuum with fluctuations of measurable consequence. In The Quantum Vacuum, Peter Milonni describes the concept of the vacuum in quantum physics with an emphasis on quantum electrodynamics. He elucidates in depth and detail the role of the vacuum electromagnetic field in spontaneous emission, the Lamb shift, van der Waals, and Casimir forces, and a variety of other phenomena, some of which are of technological as well as purely scientific importance. This informative text also provides an introduction based on fundamental vacuum processes to the ideas of relativistic quantum electrodynamics and quantum field theory, including renormalization and Feynman diagrams. Experimental as well as theoreticalaspects of the quantum vacuum are described, and in most cases details of mathematical derivations are included. Chapter 1 of The Quantum Vacuum - published in advance in The American Journal of Physics (1991)-was later selected by readers as one of the Most Memorable papers ever published in the 60-year history of the journal. This chapter provides anexcellent beginning of the book, introducing a wealth of information of historical interest, the results of which are carefully woven into subsequent chapters to form a coherent whole. Does not assume that the reader has taken advanced graduate courses, making the text accessible to beginning graduate students Emphasizes the basic physical ideas rather than the formal, mathematical aspects of the subject Provides a careful and thorough treatment of Casimir and van der Waals forces at a level of detail not found in any other book on this topic Clearly presents mathematical derivations

The Quantum Vacuum

The Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: Luciano Boi
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421402475
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
A vacuum, classically understood, contains nothing. The quantum vacuum, on the other hand, is a seething cauldron of nothingness: particle pairs going in and out of existence continuously and rapidly while exerting influence over an enormous range of scales. Acclaimed mathematical physicist and natural philosopher Luciano Boi expounds the quantum vacuum, exploring the meaning of nothingness and its relationship with physical reality. Boi first provides a deep analysis of the interaction between geometry and physics at the quantum level. He next describes the relationship between the microscopic and macroscopic structures of the world. In so doing, Boi sheds light on the very nature of the universe, stressing in an original and profound way the relationship between quantum geometry and the internal symmetries underlying the behavior of matter and the interactions of forces. Beyond the physics and mathematics of the quantum vacuum, Boi offers a profoundly philosophical interpretation of the concept. Plato and Aristotle did not believe a vacuum was possible. How could nothing be something, they asked? Boi traces the evolution of the quantum vacuum from an abstract concept in ancient Greece to its fundamental role in quantum field theory and string theory in modern times. The quantum vacuum is a complex entity, one essential to understanding some of the most intriguing issues in twentieth-century physics, including cosmic singularity, dark matter and energy, and the existence of the Higgs boson particle. Boi explains with simple clarity the relevant theories and fundamental concepts of the quantum vacuum. Theoretical, mathematical, and particle physicists, as well as researchers and students of the history and philosophy of physics, will find The Quantum Vacuum to be a stimulating and engaging primer on the topic.

New Horizons in Fundamental Physics

New Horizons in Fundamental Physics PDF Author: Stefan Schramm
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319441655
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 389

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Book Description
This volume presents the state-of-the-art in selected topics across modern nuclear physics, covering fields of central importance to research and illustrating their connection to many different areas of physics. It describes recent progress in the study of superheavy and exotic nuclei, which is pushing our knowledge to ever heavier elements and neutron-richer isotopes. Extending nuclear physics to systems that are many times denser than even the core of an atomic nucleus, one enters the realm of the physics of neutron stars and possibly quark stars, a topic that is intensively investigated with many ground-based and outer-space research missions as well as numerous theoretical works. By colliding two nuclei at very high ultra-relativistic energies one can create a fireball of extremely hot matter, reminiscent of the universe very shortly after the big bang, leading to a phase of melted hadrons and free quarks and gluons, the so-called quark-gluon plasma. These studies tie up with effects of crucial importance in other fields. During the collision of heavy ions, electric fields of extreme strength are produced, potentially destabilizing the vacuum of the atomic physics system, subsequently leading to the decay of the vacuum state and the emission of positrons. In neutron stars the ultra-dense matter might support extremely high magnetic fields, far beyond anything that can be produced in the laboratory, significantly affecting the stellar properties. At very high densities general relativity predicts the stellar collapse to a black hole. However, a number of current theoretical activities, modifying Einstein’s theory, point to possible alternative scenarios, where this collapse might be avoided. These and related topics are addressed in this book in a series of highly readable chapters. In addition, the book includes fundamental analyses of the practicalities involved in transiting to an electricity supply mainly based on renewable energies, investigating this scenario less from an engineering and more from a physics point of view. While the topics comprise a large scope of activities, the contributions also show an extensive overlap in the methodology and in the analytical and numerical tools involved in tackling these diverse research fields that are the forefront of modern science.

Forces of the Quantum Vacuum

Forces of the Quantum Vacuum PDF Author: William M R Simpson
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
ISBN: 9814644773
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
Forces of the Quantum Vacuum presents a number of theoretical approaches to Casimir, van der Waals and Casimir–Polder forces that have been fruitfully employed in mainstream research, and also reviews the experimental evidence for Casimir forces. Beginning with basic ideas in quantum mechanics and building its way to a sophisticated form of macroscopic QED, the book provides an inspiring training manual for graduate students to develop in a natural progression the ideas needed for modern theoretical research on Casimir forces.

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Probability, Metaphysics, Explanation And Measurement

Probing The Meaning Of Quantum Mechanics: Probability, Metaphysics, Explanation And Measurement PDF Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9811283605
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
Quantum theory is perhaps our best confirmed theory for a description of the physical properties of nature. On top of demonstrating great empirical effectiveness, many technological developments in the 20th century (such as the interpretation of the periodic table of elements, CD players, holograms, and quantum state teleportation) were only made possible with Quantum theory.Despite its success in the past decades, even today it still remains without a universally accepted interpretation.This book provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the question; 'What is Quantum Mechanics talking about?', a question which continues to be one of the most fascinating and important questions in science.Using an interdisciplinary approach to foundational problems in Quantum Mechanics (QM), ranging from philosophical questions about the interpretation of QM to technical problems in quantum computation, this book explores quantum mechanics from different perspectives (physical, logical, philosophical and mathematical), by researchers from Europe, North America, and South America.

Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics

Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics PDF Author: Diederik Aerts
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 981314629X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
This book provides an interdisciplinary approach to one of the most fascinating and important open questions in science: What is quantum mechanics really talking about? In the last decades quantum mechanics has given rise to a new quantum technological era, a revolution taking place today especially within the field of quantum information processing; which goes from quantum teleportation and cryptography to quantum computation. Quantum theory is probably our best confirmed physical theory. However, in spite of its great empirical effectiveness it stands today still without a universally accepted physical representation that allows us to understand its relation to the world and reality. The novelty of the book comes from the multiple perspectives put forward by top researchers in quantum mechanics, from Europe as well as North and South America, discussing the meaning and structure of the theory of quanta. The book comprises in a balanced manner physical, philosophical, logical and mathematical approaches to quantum mechanics and quantum information. Going from quantum superpositions and entanglement to dynamics and the problem of identity; from quantum logic, computation and quasi-set theory to the category approach and teleportation; from realism and empiricism to operationalism and instrumentalism; the book considers from different angles some of the most intriguing questions in the field. From Buenos Aires to Brussels and Cagliari, from Florence to Florianópolis, the interaction between different groups is reflected in the many different articles. This book is interesting not only to the specialists but also to the general public attempting to get a grasp on some of the most fundamental questions of present quantum physics. Contents:On the Notion of Truth in Quantum Mechanics: A Category-Theoretic Standpoint (V Karakostas and E Zafiris)A Logical Account of Quantum Superpositions (D Krause and J R B Arenhart)Mixing Categories and Modal Logics in the Quantum Setting (G Cinà)Binary Gates in Three Valued Quantum Computational Logics (G Sergioli, A Ledda and R Giuntini)The GTR Model: A Universal Framework for Quantum-Like Measurements (D Aerts and M S de Bianchi)'Probabilistic Knowledge' as 'Objective Knowledge' in Quantum Mechanics: Potential Immanent Powers Instead of Actual Properties (C de Ronde)On When a Semantics is not a Good Semantics: The Algebraisation of Orthomodular Logic (T Kowalski, F Paoli and and R Giuntin)Von Neumann, Empiricism and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (O Bueno)The Born Rule and Free Will: Why Libertarian Agent-Causal Free Will is Not "Antiscientific" (R E Kastner)Fuzzy Approach for CNOT Gate in Quantum Computation with Mixed States (G Sergioli and H Freytes)A Modal Logic of Indiscernibility (D Krause, J R B Arenhart and P Merlussi)The Possibility of a New Metaphysics for Quantum Mechanics from Meinong's Theory of Objects (M Graffigna)Entanglement of Formation for Werner States and Isotropic States via Logical Gates (C Bertini, M L D Chiara and R Leporini)Time, Chance and Quantum Theory (A Sudbery)A Topos Theoretic Framework for Paraconsistent Quantum Theory (B Eva)A Possible Solution to the Second Entanglement Paradox (D Aerts and M S de Bianchi) Readership: University students and researchers interested in the foundation of quantum mechanics.