arXiv:0711.0157 · Journal of Mathematical Physics

The divine clockwork: Bohr’s correspondence principle and Nelson’s stochastic mechanics for the atomic elliptic state

Richard Durran, Andrew Neate, Aubrey Truman

Published Mar 1, 2008• 9 citations

Abstract

We consider the Bohr correspondence limit of the Schrödinger wave function for an atomic elliptic state. We analyze this limit in the context of Nelson’s stochastic mechanics, exposing an underlying deterministic dynamical system in which trajectories converge to Keplerian motion on an ellipse. This solves the long standing problem of obtaining Kepler’s laws of planetary motion in a quantum mechanical setting. In this quantum mechanical setting, local mild instabilities occur in the Keplerian orbit for eccentricities greater than 12 which do not occur classically.

DOI: 10.1063/1.2837434

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