Weekly Papers on Quantum Foundations (50)

This is a list of this week’s papers on quantum foundations published in the various journals or uploaded to the preprint servers such as arxiv.org and PhilSci Archive.

Maximum Tension: with and without a cosmological constant. (arXiv:1408.1820v3 [gr-qc] UPDATED)

gr-qc updates on arXiv.org

on 2014-12-14 1:30am GMT

Authors: John D. BarrowG. W. Gibbons

We discuss various examples and ramifications of the conjecture that there exists a maximum force (or tension) in general relativistic systems. We contrast this situation with that in Newtonian gravity, where no maximum force exists, and relate it to the existence of natural units defined by constants of Nature and the fact that the Planck units of force and power do not depend on Planck’s constant. We discuss how these results change in higher dimensions where the Planck units of force are no longer non-quantum. We discuss the changes that might occur to the conjecture if a positive cosmological constant exists and derive a maximum force bound using the Kottler-Schwarzschild-de Sitter black hole.

A note on Hilbert Space Representation of Quantum Mechanics with Minimal Length. (arXiv:1412.3604v1 [gr-qc])

gr-qc updates on arXiv.org

on 2014-12-14 1:30am GMT

Authors: Amir EtemadiKourosh Nozari

We study some fundamental issues related to the Hilbert space representation of quantum mechanics in the presence of a minimal length and maximal momentum. In this framework, the maximally localized states and quasi-position representation introduced by Kempf et al. are reconsidered and modified. We show that all studies in recent years, including [15] and [16] need serious modification in order to be a consistent framework for quantum mechanics in Planck scale.

Bohr’s Philosophy in the Light of Peircean Pragmatism

Latest Results for Journal for General Philosophy of Science

on 2014-12-14 12:00am GMT

Abstract

Adopting Murdoch’s pragmatist reading of Bohr’s theory of meaning with regard to Bohr’s notion of complementarity, in this paper I try to see Bohr’s post-Como and, in particular, post-EPR philosophy of quantum mechanics in the light of Peircean pragmatism with the hope that such a construal can shed more light to Bohr’s philosophy. I supplement Murdoch’s position on Bohr’s pragmatism by showing that in addition to his complementarity, Bohr’s correspondence principle, instrumentalism and realism can be read on the basis of Peirce’s pragmatic maxim and his notion of indeterminism has commonalities with Peirce’s tychism. Also, Bohr’s practice of applying the correspondence principle can be interpreted in the light of Peirce’s fallibilism. However, when it comes to Bohr’s understanding of the symbolic character of quantum mechanics, Bohr’s philosophy deviates from Peircean pragmatism. Bohr’s philosophy distinguishes between the symbolic language of quantum formalism, which counts as a tool practically useful for prediction, and observation sentences which are visualizable in space and time and refer to the so-called individual phenomena. Such an epistemologically significant distinction is not recognized by Peircean pragmatism.

Quantum limit on time measurement in a gravitational field

Classical and Quantum Gravity – latest papers

on 2014-12-11 12:00am GMT

Good clocks are of importance both to fundamental physics and for applications in astronomy, metrology and global positioning systems. In a recent technological breakthrough, researchers at NIST have been able to achieve a stability of one part in 10 18 using an ytterbium clock. This naturally raises the question of whether there are fundamental limits to time keeping. In this article we point out that gravity and quantum mechanics set a fundamental limit on the fractional frequency uncertainty of clocks. This limit comes from a combination of the uncertainty relation, the gravitational redshift and the relativistic time dilation effect. For example, a single ion aluminium clock in a terrestrial gravitational field cannot achieve a fractional frequency uncertainty better than one part in 10 22 . This fundamental limit explores the interaction between gravity and quantum mechanics on a laboratory scale.

Experimental Bounds on Classical Random Field Theories

Latest Results for Foundations of Physics

on 2014-12-10 12:00am GMT

Abstract

Alternative theories to quantum mechanics motivate important fundamental tests of our understanding and descriptions of the smallest physical systems. Here, using spontaneous parametric downconversion as a heralded single-photon source, we place experimental limits on a class of alternative theories, consisting of classical field theories which result in power-dependent normalized correlation functions. In addition, we compare our results with standard quantum mechanical interpretations of our spontaneous parametric downconversion source over an order of magnitude in intensity. Our data match the quantum mechanical expectations, and do not show a statistically significant dependence on power, limiting quantum mechanics alternatives which require power-dependent autocorrelation functions.

Non-Reflexive Logical Foundation for Quantum Mechanics

PhilSci-Archive: No conditions. Results ordered -Date Deposited.

on 2014-12-09 8:11pm GMT

da Costa, Newton C. A. and de Ronde, Christian (2014) Non-Reflexive Logical Foundation for Quantum Mechanics. [Published Article]

show enclosure

Revisiting the First Postulate of Quantum Mechanics: Invariance and Physically Reality

PhilSci-Archive: No conditions. Results ordered -Date Deposited.

on 2014-12-09 8:09pm GMT

de Ronde, Christian and Massri, Cesar (2014) Revisiting the First Postulate of Quantum Mechanics: Invariance and Physically Reality. [Preprint]

show enclosure

Advances in the Casimir Effect

Physics

on 2014-12-09 12:00am GMT

Author: Michael Bordag, Galina Leonidovna Klimchitskaya, Umar Mohideen, and Vladimir Mikhaylovich Mostepanenko
ISBN: 9780198719984
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: 09 December 2014
Price: $69.95

Article written by