The Strange (Hi)story of Particles and Waves
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H. Dieter Zeh
Abstract
This is an attempt of a non-technical but conceptually consistent presentation of quantum theory in a historical context. While the first part is written for a general readership, Section 5 may appear a bit provocative to some quantum physicists. I argue that the single-particle wave functions of quantum mechanics have to be correctly interpreted as field modes that are “occupied once” (i.e. first excited states of the corresponding quantum oscillators in the case of boson fields). Multiple excitations lead to apparent many-particle wave functions, while the quantum states proper are defined by wave function(al)s on the “configuration” space of fundamental fields, or on another, as yet elusive, fundamental local basis.
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Article note:
Free and extended translation of my unpublished German text “Die sonderbare Geschichte von Teilchen und Wellen”. By the term “(hi)story” I tried to catch the double-meaning of the German word “Geschichte”.
©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Article
- The Strange (Hi)story of Particles and Waves
- Research Articles
- Optical Response of Mixed Molybdenum Dichalcogenides for Solar Cell Applications Using the Modified Becke–Johnson Potential
- A Numerical Study for the Relationship between Natural Manganese Dendrites and DLA Patterns
- Nonlocal Symmetry and Consistent Tanh Expansion Method for the Coupled Integrable Dispersionless Equation
- Soliton Solutions of a Generalised Nonlinear Schrödinger–Maxwell–Bloch System in the Erbium-Doped Optical Fibre
- Studies of the Local Distortions and the EPR Parameters for Cu2+ in xLi2O-(30–x)Na2O-69·5B2O Glasses
- Investigations of the EPR Parameters and Local Lattice Structure for the Rhombic Cu2+ Centre in TZSH Crystal
- Unsteady Mixed Bioconvection Flow of a Nanofluid Between Two Contracting or Expanding Rotating Discs
- Nonorthogonal Stagnation-point Flow of a Second-grade Fluid Past a Lubricated Surface
- Constructing a Variable Coefficient Integrable Coupling Equation Hierarchy and its Hamiltonian Structure
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Article
- The Strange (Hi)story of Particles and Waves
- Research Articles
- Optical Response of Mixed Molybdenum Dichalcogenides for Solar Cell Applications Using the Modified Becke–Johnson Potential
- A Numerical Study for the Relationship between Natural Manganese Dendrites and DLA Patterns
- Nonlocal Symmetry and Consistent Tanh Expansion Method for the Coupled Integrable Dispersionless Equation
- Soliton Solutions of a Generalised Nonlinear Schrödinger–Maxwell–Bloch System in the Erbium-Doped Optical Fibre
- Studies of the Local Distortions and the EPR Parameters for Cu2+ in xLi2O-(30–x)Na2O-69·5B2O Glasses
- Investigations of the EPR Parameters and Local Lattice Structure for the Rhombic Cu2+ Centre in TZSH Crystal
- Unsteady Mixed Bioconvection Flow of a Nanofluid Between Two Contracting or Expanding Rotating Discs
- Nonorthogonal Stagnation-point Flow of a Second-grade Fluid Past a Lubricated Surface
- Constructing a Variable Coefficient Integrable Coupling Equation Hierarchy and its Hamiltonian Structure
