Beyond Measure Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory

by Baggott, Jim; Atkins, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780198525363
• ISBN10: 0198525362
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Foreword by Peter Atkins


Preface


Part I: Discovery


1. An Act of Desperation


2. Farewell to Certainty


3. An Absolute Wonder


Part II: Formalism


4. Quantum Rules

Table of Contents

Foreword by Peter Atkins	xiii
Preface	xv
Part I Discovery
1 An act of desperation	3	(21)
Newton's legacy	4	(1)
Light at the turn of the century	5	(4)
Black-body radiation and the ultraviolet catastrophe	9	(3)
Planck's radiation formula	12	(3)
Quanta	15	(3)
This is wrong...	18	(1)
Bohr's theory of the atom	19	(3)
Discontinuous physics	22	(2)
2 Farewell to certainty	24	(16)
Wave-particle duality	24	(3)
Einstein and Bohr in conflict	27	(1)
Postscript: electron diffraction and interference	27	(1)
Wave mechanics	28	(3)
Interpreting the wave functions	31	(3)
Matrix mechanics	34	(2)
Heisenbergs uncertainty principle	36	(4)
3 An absolute wonder	40	(19)
Pauli's exclusion principle and the self-rotating electron	41	(1)
Electron spin	42	(1)
Dirac's theory	43	(2)
Quantum electrodynamics	45	(2)
Shelter Island	47	(1)
Sum-over-histories	47	(2)
Feynman diagrams	49	(4)
Quarks and the standard model	53	(6)
Part II Formalism
4 Quantum rules	59	(16)
The axiomatization of physics	61	(1)
Vector spaces	62	(2)
Quantum states	64	(1)
Operators and observables	65	(1)
Complementary observables	66	(1)
The time evolution of state vectors	67	(1)
The expansion theorem	68	(2)
Projection amplitudes	70	(1)
Indistinguishable particles	71	(1)
Fermions and bosons	72	(3)
5 Quantum measurement	75	(22)
Quantum probabilities	76	(2)
Linear polarization	78	(1)
Photon-polarization states	79	(1)
Photon spin	80	(3)
Von Neumann's theory of measurement	83	(1)
The 'collapse of the wave function'	84	(2)
State preparation	86	(1)
Entangled states	87	(2)
Which way did it go?	89	(1)
The bomb factory	90	(7)
Part III Meaning
6 The schism	97	(23)
The scientific method	98	(1)
The problem of induction	99	(2)
Logical positivism and the rejection of metaphysics	101	(2)
The Copenhagen interpretation	103	(3)
Complementarity	106	(2)
There is no quantum world	108	(1)
The aim and structure of physical theory	109	(3)
Social constructivism and incommensurability	112	(2)
The rational character of reality	114	(2)
The schism: realism versus anti-realism	116	(4)
7 A bolt from the blue	120	(20)
The fifth Solvay Conference	121	(2)
Is quantum mechanics consistent?	123	(3)
The photon box experiment	126	(3)
Is quantum mechanics complete?	129	(2)
A reasonable definition of reality	131	(1)
Spooky action at a distance	132	(1)
Einstein attacks quantum theory	132	(2)
Einstein separability	134	(1)
Entangled states and Schrödinger's cat	135	(3)
Summary	138	(2)
8 Bell's theorem and local reality	140	(23)
Einstein on hidden variables	141	(1)
A simple example	142	(2)
Von Neumann's 'impossibility proof'	144	(2)
Bohm's version of the EPR experiment	146	(2)
Correlated photons	148	(2)
Quantum versus hidden variable correlations	150	(3)
Bell's theorem	153	(5)
Generalization of Bell's inequality	158	(5)
Part IV Experiment
9 Quantum non-locality	163	(100)
Cascade emission	164	(1)
The Aspect experiments	165	(4)
Parametric down-conversion	169	(1)
Long-distance entanglement	170	(1)
How fast is 'instantaneous'?	171	(1)
Testing non-locality without inequalities	171	(5)
Closing the locality loophole	176	(2)
Closing the efficiency loophole	178	(3)
10 Complementarity and entanglement	181	(26)
Delayed choice	182	(2)
Wheeler's 'Great smoky Dragon'	184	(1)
Watching the electrons	185	(3)
The one-atom maser	188	(1)
Which way did it go (again)?	189	(2)
But what if we don't look?	191	(2)
Scully's pizza	193	(4)
Superluminal communications?	197	(1)
Qubits and quantum computing	198	(2)
Quantum cryptography	200	(1)
Quantum teleportation	201	(1)
Was Einstein wrong?	202	(1)
Was Bohr right?	203	(4)
Part V Alternatives
11 Pilot waves, potentials, and propensities	207	(16)
De Brogue's pilot waves	209	(1)
Quantum potentials	210	(2)
A causal explanation of quantum phenomena	212	(4)
Quantum theory and historical contingency	216	(2)
The implicate order	218	(1)
Popper's propensities	219	(4)
12 An irreversible act	223	(19)
The arrow of time	224	(2)
Time asymmetry and quantum measurement	226	(1)
From being to becoming	227	(1)
Decoherence	228	(5)
The problem of objectification	233	(1)
GRW theory	234	(2)
Penrose and the geometry of space-time	236	(1)
Macroscopic realism	237	(1)
Superpositions of distinct macroscopic states	238	(4)
13 I think, therefore...	242	(21)
Von Neumann's theory of measurement (revisited)	242	(2)
Wigner's friend	244	(1)
The ghost in the machine	245	(2)
Multiple drafts	247	(2)
The physical basis of consciousness	249	(3)
Al	252	(2)
Consciousness and objective reduction	254	(1)
Free will and determinism	255	(2)
The mind of God?	257	(6)
14 Many worlds, one universe	263	(26)
Relative states	264	(1)
The branching world	265	(1)
'Schizophrenia' with a vengeance	266	(1)
Parallel worlds and 'schizophrenic' neutrons	267	(3)
The non-existence of non-locality	270	(2)
Quantum suicide: dead again?	272	(1)
Time travel	273	(2)
Many minds	275	(1)
The quantum theory of the universe	276	(3)
Consistent histories	279	(4)
Quantum gravity	283	(3)
Closing remarks	286	(3)
Appendices	289	(68)
1 Maxwell's equations and the speed of light	291	(3)
2 Black-body radiation and the origin of the quantum	294	(3)
3 Atomic theory and the emergence of quantum numbers	297	(3)
4 Special relativity and de Brogue's hypothesis	300	(2)
5 Schrödinger's wave equation	302	(3)
6 Dirac's relativistic quantum theory of the electron	305	(2)
7 The expectation value	307	(2)
8 Complementary observables and the uncertainty principle	309	(2)
9 The expansion theorem and quantum projections	311	(3)
10 state vectors and classical unit vectors	314	(2)
11 Quantum indistinguishabiiity: fermions and bosons	316	(2)
12 Projection amplitudes for photon-polarization states	318	(4)
13 Quantum measurement and expectation values	322	(2)
14 Complementary observables of two-particle states	324	(1)
15 Quantum measurement and the infinite regress	325	(2)
16 Von Neumann's 'impossibility proof'	327	(2)
17 Photon spin correlations	329	(3)
18 Quantum versus local hidden variable correlations	332	(3)
19 Bell's inequality	335	(2)
20 Bell's inequality for non-ideal cases	337	(2)
21 Three-photon GHZ states	339	(4)
22 The Ciauser-Horne-Shimóny-Holt form of Bell's inequality	343	(2)
23 'Which Way' versus interference: testing complementarity	345	(2)
24 The quantum eraser	347	(3)
25 Beam me up, Scotty	350	(2)
26 The de Broglie-Bohr theory	352	(3)
27 Neutron worlds	355	(2)
Bibliography	357	(8)
Name index	365	(6)
Subject Index	371