Recent work in nuclear physics has brought to light difficulties in the application of the special relativity theory to nuclear problems. Thus, in his recent book, The Physicist's Conception of Nature (London, Hutchinson, 1958, p. 48), W. Heisenberg writes : " Relativity theory assumes that in principle no effect can be propagated faster than the velocity of light. Now this trend in relativity theory leads to difficulties in connection with the uncertainty relations of quantum theory.
Recent work in nuclear physics has brought to light difficulties in the application of the special relativity theory to nuclear problems. Thus, in his recent book, The Physicist's Conception of Nature (London, Hutchinson, 1958, p. 48), W. Heisenberg writes : " Relativity theory assumes that in principle no effect can be propagated faster than the velocity of light. Now this trend in relativity theory leads to difficulties in connection with the uncertainty relations of quantum theory.
Relativistic quantum mechanics is the unification into a consistent theory of Einstein's theory of relativity and the quantum mechanics of physicists such as Bohr, Schrödinger, and Heisenberg. Evidently, to appreciate relativistic quantum theory it is necessary to have a good understanding of these component theories. Apart from this chapter we assume the reader has this understanding. However, here we are going to recall some of the important points of the classical theory of special relativity. There is good reason for doing this. As you will discover all too soon, relativistic quantum mechanics is a very mathematical subject and my experience has been that the complexity of the mathematics often obscures the physics being described. To facilitate the interpretation of the mathematics here, appropriate limits are taken wherever possible, to obtain expressions with which the reader should be familiar. Clearly, when this is done it is useful to have the limiting expressions handy. Presenting them in this chapter means they can be referred to easily. Taking the above argument to its logical conclusion means we should include a chapter on non-relativistic quantum mechanics as well. However, that is too vast a subject to include in a single chapter. Furthermore, there already exists a plethora of good books on the subject.
COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF THE HEISENBERG PRINCIPLE I T HE Heisenberg uncertainty principle, like its rival theory of relativity/ has been one of the truly crucial phases in the physics of our day~ It did not, like the discovery of a new element or the Maxwell equations, simply indent the story of classical physics for a new paragraph. It was not only a new chapter but a new book. Detected, in the words of Heisenberg himself, when physics became self-critical, the principle is a statement of what is observable-like its contemporary, the theory of relativity. It was anew advance in method, so revolutionary indeed that physics has virtually lost meaning as content and become synonymous , as logical empiricism amply indicates, with mere rules of procedure. That science is developing into a system of logic, combining the Cartesian stress on clearness with the Kantian regulative idea, actually confirms a contention of traditional philosophy. It reveals that once we deny the colors and sounds, the life, lights, and purpose in our universe-as pure scientific method actually does-we are fated to deny much more than quality. Quality is in the order of form, substance, and being. The moment quality is banished from the real world, by the same 1 That all is not as peaceful and unified in physics as the layman sometimes believes can be seen in the deep cleavage between quantum and relativity mechanics. For the first, the exact specification of space (position) and time (velocity, momentum) has no meaning, while in relativity theory such exact description is the only meaning that can be had. Despite the efforts 'of leading physicists, including Dirac, to unite the two theories, the contradiction is so profound that one of these systems must eventually be abandoned or, more probably, both of them will be superseded. The recent work .of Schroedinger and apparently also of Einstei~ himself are directed to extend the general theory of relativity, making the current theory a special case just as Newtonian physics is a special case of present relativity mechanics. 474 COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF THE HEISENBERG PRINCIPLE 475 decree being itself-because it is an immediate, non-inertial (formal) thing like quality-is driven into its only possible exile, nothingness. It is not surprising then that, after modern physics· has finished its task, the universe should not only be emptied of its lights, its fragrance, its sweetness, and its music but should also be without being and without existence. The uncertainty principle has been much debated in modern thought. Its impact has brought a sad end to the pride of 19th century science since it prevents a complete knowledge of anything at all by shading into the darkness at least one of the two major factors that specify it. Shortly after the principle was born it was hailed by various authors as a proof of free will, of the possibility of religion, and of non-mechanistic concepts in biology. In a more consistent and challenging sense, it has often been taken to refute what the physicist calls causality and what the philosopher calls the order of nature. The fact of the matter is that if the senses alone supply knowledge, truly only one thing at a time can be apprehended. If Hume was right in philosophy, so is Heisenberg. But when sensism yields to an intellectual insight into reality, it is easy to refute the scientist's claim to dethrone the doctrine of nature's order which he could never detect, even in classical physics, by pointerreadings .2 But whatever the fate of the Heisenberg principle in cosmology , it has had a most fruitful career in the field of physics. To Heisenberg himself, the principle was a point of departure for an original development of quantum mechanics based on the " uncertainty " of position and momentum,.: 3 If, for example, measurements are made, under a microscope, of the position of an electron, the photon (light-particle), which impinges on the eye and thus conveys the required knowledge to the physicist, has had to collide with the electron, thus imparting an impact known as the Compton recoil. When • For ·a discussion of the order of nature, cf. J. Marling: The...
Because the particles follow a wave pattern of probability prescribed by schrodinger equation and we are guided by uncertainty principles, we often wrongly interpret the nature of reality. Heisenberg only prescribes the measurement problems of very small due to limitations of wave length of the observing beam and that is the natural limitation but wrongly we say that nature is acting indeterministi. Thus we wrongly understand uncertainty principles connecting t to saying that nature can never be precisely defined in momentum and position.In the same way we measure time in relativity theory confusing the very notion of time.
We argue that special relativity, instead of quantum theory, should be radically reformulated to resolve inconsistencies between those two theories. A new relativistic transformation recently-proposed renders physical laws form-invariant via transformation of physical quantities, instead of space-time coordinates. This new perspective on relativistic transformation provides an insight into the very meaning of the principle of relativity. The principle of relativity means that the same physical laws hold in all inertial frames, rather than their mathematical formulas are Lorentz-covariant under the Lorentz transformation of space-time coordinates. The space-time concept underlying this new relativistic transformation is Newtonian absolute space and absolute time. With this new perspective, quantum theory becomes compatible with the principle of relativity. A new theory of relativistic quantum mechanics is formulated. The new relativistic quantum mechanics thus obtained maintains the essentials of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, for instance, the statistical single-particle interpretation. Studies on standard problems in quantum mechanics, square step and barrier potential, show that the new relativistic quantum mechanics is free from such anomalies as the negative probability density, Zitterbewegung and the Klein paradox bedeviling the current relativistic quantum mechanics. Furthermore, a remarkable result is found as applying the new relativistic quantum mechanics to study the problems of square potential well --- a particle can not be confined within an infinite square well of width less than half of the Compton wavelength of the particle. As implications of this finding in nuclear physics, there is a lower bound on the size of atomic nucleus. Neither an electron, nor a positron, can be confined inside the nucleus.
THE conceptual problems raised by the discovery of quantum effects have not been fully resolved after half a century. Part of the reason for this is undoubtedly to be found in the mutual ignorance which prevails between physicists and philosophers. In his book Heisenberg brings together a philosophically inclined temperament with an unrivalled knowledge of physics. The result is a book of very great interest, however much one might disagree with his conclusions. The collection of essays of which the other book is made up is intended to bring crucial conceptual problems in physics especially to the notice of philosophers. The design and intention of the collection is admirable for this is the proper way to overcome the departmentalization of interest that has left the deep conceptual problems still unresolved. Men like Heisenberg who combine philosophical temperament with scientic knowledge of great distinction are rare, and yet the difficulties can only be cleared up by the application of philosophical techniques of analysis to problems which are an intimate and difficult part of physics. A great deal of the interest of Heisenberg's book lies in the very comprehensive account he gives of the origin and growth of the Copenhagen school, and the way the new phenomena forced a largely unwelcome picture of nature upon Bohr and his friends. The most important chapter from a philosophical point of view is that in which Heisenberg defends this interpretation against the attacks to which it has been subjected. The essence of his argument for the interpretation can be summed up in two propositions. (i) The Copenhagen interpretation of physical theory, which depends upon the acceptance of the so-called Principle of Complementarity, is an inevitable and final interpretation. The reason for this is that there are only two possible general models for understanding given physical phenomena; a particle model or a wave model. These are exhaustive and exclusive because the former depends upon discontinuous and the latter upon continuous (using substance here in the traditional philosophical sense). If we find, as we do, that the two fundamental constituents of the universe, matter and radiation, each exhibit two classes of phenomena, one explainable only on a particle model and one on a wave model, then we are compelled to adopt a complementarity hypothesis and give up the idea of finding a single and uniform model for the understanding of phenomena. There are only two kinds of models; they are mutually exclusive; both are required; hence we either despair before an insoluble problem or adopt the Copenhagen interpretation. (2) Any serious criticism of this interpretation must offer an alternative
This paper takes a look at the two cornerstones of modern physics--Quantum Mechanics and The Theory of Relativity (Both Special and General). The differences and similarities for the two subjects are presented. More of their differences and similarities will emerge with new developments in physics. One can't rule out the possibility of the two being unified into one one fine day. That will herald another triumphant moment in physics. Introduction In 1905, Albert Einstein at the age of twenty-six formulated single-handedly, among others, the Theory of Special Relativity together with his other seminal papers on photoelectricity, Brownian motions of atoms and molecular dimensions. The year has been universally declared the Miraculous Year [1]. Ten years later, he came up with the theory of General Relativity--a new and revolutionary framework on gravity. Meanwhile in Europe a group of young physicists played pivotal role in the birth of Quantum Mechanics. Many of them went on to win Nobel prizes for their monumental contributions. Einstein also won the coveted prize not for Relativity but ironically for Photoelectric Effect. Irony has been part of physics in its history. Relativity with its weird 'Twin Paradox', constancy of the speed of light and the interchangebility between mass and energy (E=[mc.sup.2]) enthralls the public and scientists alike. It provides a way to measure particle masses [2]. The Quantum Theory has its fair share of weirdness and bewilderment. Both Quantum Mechanics and the Theory of Relativity bring forth new ideas in human thoughts. They are among Joanne Baker's 50 physics ideas [3]. Quantum Mechanics and the Theory of Relativity The quantum world where counterintuition reigns supreme is couched in uncertainty as epitomised by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Things do not behave in a deterministic way as enshrined and expected in classical Newtonian physics. The microscopic world of the electrons was dictated by randomness and indeterminacy. Albert Einstein was appalled by such dictates that he famously declared: 'God does not play dice with the universe.' The famous Danish physicist Neils Bohr sprang to his feet by saying: 'Stop telling God what to do with his dice.' The sparring between the two stalwarts in physics is legendary. According to Trefil [4], there are a couple of things that need to be said about the uncertainty principle: it does not imply that we cannot know either the position or the velocity of a particle, and it does not require the presence of a conscious mind. Marcus Chown [5] wraps up by saying 'The bitter irony, not lost on Einstein, was that he was the one who, by postulating the existence of the photon, had inadvertently set loose the genie of randomness of physics. The two theories of relativity by Einstein are not couched in randomness however. According to Smoot [6], both implied a radically new cosmology. Many people are of the opinion that with Einstein's theory of relativity, old classical physics is no more in vogue. According to Angier [7], Albert Einstein did not prove that Isaac Newton was wrong. Instead, he showed that Newton's theories of motion and gravity were incomplete, and that new equations were needed to explain the behavior of objects under extreme circumstances, such as when tiny particles travel at or near the speed of light. …