Is the formalism of quantum mechanics complete? Examination of Max Karl Planck's original quantum work suggests the answer is "No".1-3 Retrospective analysis of Planck's foundational quantum derivation suggests that his action constant ("h") is actually the product of an energy constant ("h̃") and a time variable (tm"). Planck's ground-breaking quantum formula, "E = hν" (E is energy and ν is frequency) may more appropriately be denoted as, "E = h̃tmν". The energy constant represents the energy of a single oscillation or wave of electromagnetic (EM) energy, and is constant regardless of frequency, wavelength or photon energy. The time variable (as originally defined by Planck) is the measurement time of the electromagnetic energy. The invariance of the EM energy constant over a change in time or space suggests it represents a universal constant for light. Retrospective evaluation also reveals that Planck inadvertently fixed the EM measurement time (tm) at a value of one (1) second, thereby significantly limiting the time variable's degrees of freedom. Implications appear to be profound for restoring infinite degrees of freedom to the EM measurement time variable. Quantum re-interpretation using the energy constant and measurement time variable suggest conservation of energy, momentum and mass for a single oscillation of light. A deeper layer of foundations in physics may yet need to be built.
Is the formalism of quantum mechanics complete? Examination of Max Karl Planck's original quantum work suggests the answer is "No".1-3 Retrospective analysis of Planck's foundational quantum derivation suggests that his action constant ("h") is actually the product of an energy constant ("h̃") and a time variable (tm"). Planck's ground-breaking quantum formula, "E = hν" (E is energy and ν is frequency) may more appropriately be denoted as, "E = h̃tmν". The energy constant represents the energy of a single oscillation or wave of electromagnetic (EM) energy, and is constant regardless of frequency, wavelength or photon energy. The time variable (as originally defined by Planck) is the measurement time of the electromagnetic energy. The invariance of the EM energy constant over a change in time or space suggests it represents a universal constant for light. Retrospective evaluation also reveals that Planck inadvertently fixed the EM measurement time (tm) at a value of one (1) second, thereby significantly limiting the time variable's degrees of freedom. Implications appear to be profound for restoring infinite degrees of freedom to the EM measurement time variable. Quantum re-interpretation using the energy constant and measurement time variable suggest conservation of energy, momentum and mass for a single oscillation of light. A deeper layer of foundations in physics may yet need to be built.
Re-examination of the work of Max Karl Planck has revealed hidden variables in his famous quantum work, consistent with Einstein's famous sentiment that quantum mechanics is incomplete due to the existence of "hidden variables". The recent discovery of these previously hidden variables, which have been missing from the foundational equations of quantum theory for more than one hundred years, has important implications for all the sciences as well as for understanding the interactions of electromagnetic radiation with matter. Planck's quantum formula, E = hν, is missing the variable for measurement time. Planck had included the missing time variable in his earlier electromagnetic work, but omitted it in his famous work that sparked the quantum revolution. Restoration of measurement time to Planck's quantum formula produces the more complete, E = h~ ν t. The numerical value Planck calculated for his action constant "h" takes on new meaning as an energy constant "h~" for light. Planck's energy constant is the mean energy of a single oscillation of light, namely 6.626 X 10-34 J/oscillation. The mean oscillation energy of light is constant, and does not vary with frequency or wavelength. The photon, as historically defined, is a time dependent packet of energy, based on the arbitrary measurement time of one second. An arbitrary, one second increment of energy cannot be a truly indivisible and elementary particle of nature. Omission of the time variable from Planck's quantum formula contributed to numerous paradoxes in quantum mechanics, such as uncertainty relating to formulations involving time, wave-particle duality, the need for normalization of wave functions, lack of dimensions for the fine structure constant, and irreconcilability of quantum mechanics and general relativity (Einstein's gravitational theory). Many of these paradoxes are simplified or eliminated altogether with a re-interpretation of quantum mechanics with Planck's hidden time variable and energy constant.
Re-examination of the work of Max Karl Planck has revealed hidden variables in his famous quantum work, consistent with Einstein’s famous sentiment that quantum mechanics is incomplete due to the existence of “hidden variables”. The recent discovery of these previously hidden variables, which have been missing from the foundational equations of quantum theory for more than one hundred years, has important implications for understanding the interactions of electromagnetic radiation with matter. Planck’s quantum formula (“E = hν”) is missing the variable for measurement time. Restoration of measurement time produces a more complete quantum formula, “E = h ν tm”. Upon balancing, this restored formula reveals that the numerical value of Planck’s constant is actually the mean energy of a single oscillation of light, 6.626 X 10 -34 J/oscillation. Previous definitions of the “photon” relied on a hidden and assumed value for measurement time of “one second”. Quantum chemists of long ago, unaware of this arbitrary value, concluded that the total energy of a “photon” had to be equal to or greater than molecular bond energy, and only “photons” in the visible and ultraviolet regions satisfied this criterion. Infra-red, microwave and radio waves were excluded from study in photochemistry, and were relegated mechanistically to purely thermal processes. An understanding of the restored quantum formula, with its separate time variable and mean oscillation energy constant, reveals that frequency specific effects range through-out the electromagnetic spectrum and are not limited to just the visible and ultraviolet regions. This awareness, in turn, allows the mechanistic explanation of phenomena related to the use of infrared, microwaves and radio waves in the processing, evolution and performance of materials.
In 1900 Max Karl Planck performed his famous black-body radiation work which sparked the quantum revolution. Re-examination of that work has revealed hidden variables, consistent with Einstein's famous sentiment that quantum mechanics is incomplete due to the existence of "hidden variables". The recent discovery of these previously hidden variables, which have been missing from foundational equations for more than one hundred years, has important implications for theoretical, experimental and applied sciences and technologies. Planck attempted to integrate the new "resonant Hertzian (electromagnetic) waves", with existing Helmholtz theories on energy and thermodynamics. In his famous January 1901, paper on black-body radiation, Planck described two significant hypotheses - his well known Quantum Hypothesis, and his more obscure Resonance Hypothesis. Few scientists today are aware that Planck hypothesized resonant electromagnetic energy as a form of non-thermal energy available to perform work on a molecular basis, and that Planck's Resonance Hypothesis bridged the gap between classical Helmholtz energy state dynamics of the bulk macrostate, and energy state dynamics of the molecular microstate. Since the black-body experimental data involved only a thermal effect and not a resonant effect, Planck excluded the resonant state in his black-body derivation. He calculated Boltzmann's constant "kB" using completely thermal/entropic data, arriving at a value of 1.38 ×10-23 J K-1 per molecule, representing the internal energy of a molecule under completely thermal conditions. He further hypothesized, however, that if resonant energy was present in a system, the resonant energy would be "free to be converted into work". Planck seems to have been caught up in the events of the quantum revolution and never returned to his Resonance Hypothesis. As a result, a mathematical foundation for resonance dynamics was never completed. Boltzmann's constant was adopted into thermodynamic theories without its natural companion, the resonance factor ("rf").
Planck's constant h is considered to be a fundamental Universal constant of Physics. And although we can experimentally determine its value to great precision, the reason for its existence and what it really means is still a mystery. Quantum Mechanics has adapted it in its mathematical formalism, as it also has the Quantum Hypothesis. But QM does not explain its meaning or prove its existence. Why does the Universe need h and energy quanta? Why does the mathematical formalism of QM so accurately reflect physical phenomena and predict these with great precision? Ask any physicists and uniformly the answer is that's how the Universe works. The units of h are in energy-time and the conventional interpretation of h is as a quantum of action. But in this brief note we take a different view. We interpret h as the minimal accumulation of energy that can be manifested in our measurements. Certainly the units of h agree with such interpretation. Based on this we provide a plausible explanation for the existence of Planck's constant, what it means and how it comes about. We show that the existence of Planck's constant is not so much dictated by the Universe but rather by Mathematics and the inner consistence and calibrations of Physics.
We propose six principles as the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics: principle of space and time, Galilean principle of relativity, Hamilton's principle, wave principle, probability principle, and principle of indestructibility and increatiblity of particles. We deductively develop the formalism of quantum mechanics on the basis of them: we determine the form of the Lagrangian that satisfies requirements of these principles, and obtain the Schroedinger equation from the Lagrangian. We also derive the canonical commutation relations. Then we adopt the following four guide lines. First, we do not premise the relations between dynamical variables in classical mechanics. Second, we define energy, momentum, and angular momentum as the constants of motion that are derived from homogeneity and isotropy in space and time on the basis of principle of space and time. Since energy and momentum are quantitatively defined in classical mechanics, we define them in quantum mechanics so that the corresponding conservation laws are satisfied in a coupling system of a quantum particle and a classical particle. Third, we define Planck's constant and the mass of a particle as proportionality constants between energy and frequency due to one of Einstein-de Broglie formulas and between momentum and velocity, respectively. We shall obtain the canonical commutation relations and the Schroedinger equation for a particle in an external field in the definitive form. We shall also prove that relations between dynamical variables in quantum mechanics have the same forms for those in classical mechanics.
Dispersion dynamics applies wave-particle duality, together with Maxwell’s electromagnetism, and with quantization E = hν = ħω (symbol definitions in footnote) and p = h/λ = ħk, to special relativity E2 = p2c2 + m2c4. Calculations on a wave-packet, that is symmetric about the normal distribution, are partly conservative and partly responsive. The complex electron wave function is chiefly modelled on the real wave function of an electromagnetic photon; while the former concept of a “point particle” is downgraded to mathematical abstraction. The computations yield conclusions for phase and group velocities, vp⋅vg = c2 with vp ≥ c because vg ≤ c, as in relativity. The condition on the phase velocity is most noticeable when p≪mc. Further consequences in dispersion dynamics are: derivations for ν and λ that are consistently established by one hundred years of experience in electron microscopy and particle accelerators. Values for vp = νλ = ω/k are therefore systematically verified by the products of known multiplicands or divisions by known divisors, even if vp is not independently measured. These consequences are significant in reduction of the wave-packet by resonant response during interactions between photons and electrons, for example, or between particles and particles. Thus the logic of mathematical quantum mechanics is distinguished from experiential physics that is continuous in time, and consistent with uncertainty principles. [Footnote: symbol E = energy; h = Planck’s constant; ν = frequency; ω = angular momentum; p = momentum; λ = wavelength; k = wave vector; c = speed of light; m = particle rest mass; vp = phase velocity; vg = group velocity].