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The History of Quantum Theory: About Einstein's Substantiation of Light-Quanta

亮 森川

Published Jul 1, 2015• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

[概要] 量子なる概念は, プランクの放射公式によって議論に俎上した. しかし, それは未だ単なる関数的関係にすぎず, リアルで現実的な物理的実体ではなかった. プランクの量子は現実存在ではないのである. これに対してアインシュタインは, 光量子仮説を導入することで, 量子をリアルでビビッドな存在とし, 量子は実体となった. これは, 量子を粒子として実体化することでもあった. われわれは, 本論において, このアインシュタインのアイデアと実体化の過程を詳細に追跡し, 幾ばくかの哲学的側面についての考察も行う. また, 考察の過程で波動一粒子の二重性の根源についての議論も行うこととなる. [Abstract] The concept of quantum came up in the discussions by the Planck's formula for radiation. However, it was a merely a functional relation, but not physical substance that is the reality. Planck's quantum does not have a real existence at all. In contrast with this, Einstein proposed the hypothesis of the light quanta as a real and with a vivid existence. Thus the quantum becomes a physical substance. This is also a substantiation of quantum as particles. We will see the process of this substantiation and the developments of the Einstein's idea in this article in details and have a few philosophical discussions about this process. We will see and also argue about the roots of the wave-particle duality.

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[概要]本研究ノートは後続する量子論の歴史に対する序論である. 現代と19世紀の間にある種の深い断絶があるように量子論と古典物理学の間にも断絶が存在する. ここに量子の歴史をあらためて記してみる意義がある. 本論では, 19世紀の物理学(古典物理学)の世界観と量子を生み出す社会の直接的な要因と目されるその社会状況を概観しておく. また, 現代がいかに視角や展望を必要としているかについても若干の私論を展開しておくものである. [Abstract] This paper is an introduction for the history of quantum theory that I will write on the subsequent articles. To write the history of quantum is important because we are living in the modern scientific civilization. However, we have deep chasms between classical 19th century world and the modern world. There are also chasms between classical physics and the quantum modern physics. We will argue a world-picture of the classical physics and social circumstances which provided for the birth of the quantum in this paper. And this paper states and expounds the necessity of the perspective into our era as my personal views too.

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[概要] 量子なる概念は, プランクの放射公式によって議論に俎上した. しかし, それは未だ単なる関数的関係にすぎず, リアルで現実的な物理的実体ではなかった. プランクの量子は現実存在ではないのである. これに対してアインシュタインは, 光量子仮説を導入することで, 量子をリアルでビビッドな存在とし, 量子は実体となった. これは, 量子を粒子として実体化することでもあった. われわれは, 本論において, このアインシュタインのアイデアと実体化の過程を詳細に追跡し, 幾ばくかの哲学的側面についての考察も行う. また, 考察の過程で波動一粒子の二重性の根源についての議論も行うこととなる. [Abstract] The concept of quantum came up in the discussions by the Planck's formula for radiation. However, it was a merely a functional relation, but not physical substance that is the reality. Planck's quantum does not have a real existence at all. In contrast with this, Einstein proposed the hypothesis of the light quanta as a real and with a vivid existence. Thus the quantum becomes a physical substance. This is also a substantiation of quantum as particles. We will see the process of this substantiation and the developments of the Einstein's idea in this article in details and have a few philosophical discussions about this process. We will see and also argue about the roots of the wave-particle duality.
[概要]量子力学は, 現代の科学技術文明にとってもっとも重要な理論である. 量子なる概念は, 二十世紀初頭に出現した. これを量子革命と称する. われわれは, 本論で量子論の発展過程を見てゆく. とりわけ本論が主題とするのは, 黒体放射の問題がいかに解き明かされてプランクの放射公式に結実したか, ということである. かかる議論の過程で, われわれは, 量子の二重性がどのようにして出現したのかが明確にされるのを見るであろう. 言い替えれば, 量子の二面性の根源が, 完成された理論のどこに潜んでいるかを見いだすであろう. また, 本論は, 量子の認識論に関して, その哲学的含意についても若干の議論をすることになる. [Abstract] Quantum mechanics is the most important theory for the modern scientific and technological civilization. The notion of quantum had been emerged at the beginning of the 20th century that is called quantum revolution. We will see the process of the development of the quantum theory in this paper. Especially, we will see and discuss how the black-body problem had been solved by the Planck's formula for radiation. This discussion will make a clear understanding to the emergence of the so-called wave-particle duality. That is to say, we will see the origins of the quantum duality that are hid behind of the accomplished theory. And we discuss a few philosophical implications that are about the epistemology of quantum.
Abstract With the failure of classical physics to explain the experimentally observed black body radiation spectrum, the photoelectric effect and the existence of narrow spectral lines in the light emitted by excited atoms, physicists were forced to reach out for new ideas. Following Planck’s initial “drastic hypothesis” of light “quanta”, Einstein led the way in exploring some of the myriad implications of this idea. In particular, the study of fluctuations led to a new understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms. Einstein invented the photon by showing, through fluctuation studies, that light emitted by atoms must be in the form of plane waves. These ideas led to the first notions regarding the quantization of matter and its dynamics.
Einstein’s 1905 paper on the photoelectric effect, in which he considered Planck’s idea of quanta of energy to be a universal characteristic of light, marks the beginning of quantum theory. For over ten years Einstein stood alone on the issue of energy quantization of light; and although in 1915 experimental conrmation of his photoelectric effect came from painstaking experiments performed by Millikan, acceptance of the idea that light was composed of particles was far from universal. Millikan himself wrote in 1915: “Despite … the apparent complete success of the Einstein equation, the physical theory of which it was designed to be the symbolic expression is found so untenable that Einstein himself, I believe, no longer holds to it.” Einstein did hold to it. It was only in the mid 1920s, when Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Dirac, and others developed the rst forms of quantum theory, that serious discussions concerning the particle nature of light and the meaning of the new theory began. Discussions about the meaning of quantum theory continue today.
This is an account of Einstein's work and thoughts on the quantum theory. The following topics will be discussed: The light-quantum hypothesis and its gradual evolution into the photon concept. Early history of the photoelectric effect. The theoretical and experimental reasons why the resistance to the photon was stronger and more protracted than for any other particle proposed to date. Einstein's position regarding the Bohr-Kramers-Slater suggestion, the last bastion of resistance to the photon. Einstein's analysis of fluctuations around thermal equilibrium and his proposal of a duality between particles and waves, in 1909 for electromagnetic radiation (the first time this duality was ever stated) and in January 1925 for matter (prior to quantum mechanics and for reasons independent of those given earlier by de Broglie). His demonstration that long-known specific heat anomalies are quantum effects. His role in the evolution of the third law of thermodynamics. His new derivation of Planck's law in 1917 which also marks the beginning of his concern with the failure of classical causality. His role as one of the founders of quantum statistics and his discovery of the first example of a phase transition derived by using purely statistical methods. His position as a critic of quantum mechanics. Initial doubts on the consistency of quantum mechanics (1926-1930). His view maintained from 1930 until the end of his life: quantum mechanics is logically consistent and quite successful but it is incomplete. His attitude toward success. His criterion of objective reality. Differences in the roles relativity and quantum theory played in Einstein's life. His vision regarding quantum theory in the context of a unified field theory. His last autobiographical sketch, written a few months before his death, concluding with a statement about the quantum theory, a subject to which (by his own account) he had given more thought than even to general relativity.
[概要]本研究ノートは後続する量子論の歴史に対する序論である. 現代と19世紀の間にある種の深い断絶があるように量子論と古典物理学の間にも断絶が存在する. ここに量子の歴史をあらためて記してみる意義がある. 本論では, 19世紀の物理学(古典物理学)の世界観と量子を生み出す社会の直接的な要因と目されるその社会状況を概観しておく. また, 現代がいかに視角や展望を必要としているかについても若干の私論を展開しておくものである. [Abstract] This paper is an introduction for the history of quantum theory that I will write on the subsequent articles. To write the history of quantum is important because we are living in the modern scientific civilization. However, we have deep chasms between classical 19th century world and the modern world. There are also chasms between classical physics and the quantum modern physics. We will argue a world-picture of the classical physics and social circumstances which provided for the birth of the quantum in this paper. And this paper states and expounds the necessity of the perspective into our era as my personal views too.
This chapter presents the basic physical ideas that underpin the quantum theory. Historians place the beginnings of the quantum theory at 1900. That year Max Planck published his famous formula for the distribution of energy as a function of frequency in black-body radiation. Curiously, although radiation theory gave birth to quantum mechanics, the interaction of matter and electromagnetic radiation is a rather advanced topic in quantum mechanics and it took almost fifty years for an acceptable formulation to be achieved. One reason for this is that photons are quanta of the electromagnetic field, and the quantum theory of fields requires a relativistic treatment to be entirely successful. The corpuscular nature of light was only half of the input that gave birth to quantum mechanics. The other half concerns matter. Given that the discreteness of photons manifests itself during the emission and absorption process, it is not surprising to find that quantum oddities afflict the behaviour of material particles too.