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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 134

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The Tausk Controversy in the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Politics, Mentorship and a Dissenter's Disappearance
In 1966, the Brazilian physicist Klaus Tausk circulated a preprint from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, in Trieste, criticizing the theory put forward by Daneri, Loinger & Prosperi…
Osvaldo Pessoa, Olival Freire, Alexis De GreiffAug 25, 2006
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Theoretical remark on the superconductivity of metals
In this paper Einstein develops some crucial ideas about superconductivity
Albert EinsteinAug 25, 2006
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The self-energy of the electron: a quintessential problem in the development of QED
The development of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) is sketched from its earliest beginnings until the formulations of 1949, using the example of the divergent self-energy of the electron as a…
Jo BovyAug 10, 2006
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The road not considered ... the question of photon mass
We consider possibilities of modification of Maxwell's equations of electrodynamics that could have automatically led to a massive photon. Why weren't such questions considered at the time…
Palash B. PalAug 9, 2006
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Peter Bergmann and the invention of constrained Hamiltonian dynamics
Peter Bergmann was a co-inventor of the algorithm for converting singular Lagrangian models into a constrained Hamiltonian dynamical formalism. This talk focuses on the work of Bergmann and his…
D. C. SalisburyAug 7, 2006
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On the Nature of Science
A 21st century view of the nature of science is presented. It attempts to show how a consistent description of science and scientific progress can be given. Science advances through a sequence of…
B. K. JenningsJul 26, 2006
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On the Available Lunar and Solar Eclipses and Babylonian Chronology
The recently shown two premises (Gurzadyan 2000), i.e. the absence of 56/64 year Venus cycle constraints, at the importance of the 8-year cycle in the Venus Tablet, stimulated new studies on the…
V. G. Gurzadyan, D. A. WarburtonJul 14, 2006
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Un manoscritto inedito in francese di Ettore Majorana
We report on the retrieval of the last missing papers of the "Senatore folder", given by Majorana to one student of his in Naples in 1938, just before his disappearance. The mentioned…
S. EspositoJul 11, 2006
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Galileo's Double Star: The Experiment That "Proved" the Earth Did Not Move
Great opportunities arise for teaching physics, astronomy, and their histories when new discoveries are made that involve concepts accessible to students at every level. Such an opportunity currently…
Christopher M. GraneyJun 29, 2006
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Julian Schwinger (1918-1994)
Julian Schwinger's influence on Twentieth Century science is profound and pervasive. Of course, he is most famous for his renormalization theory of quantum electrodynamics, for which he shared…
K. A. MiltonJun 16, 2006
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Coulomb oscillation in the hydrogen atom and molecule ion
Semiclassical oscillation of the electron through the nucleus of the H atom yields both the exact energy and the correct orbital angular momentum for l=0 quantum states. Similarly, electron…
Manfred BucherMay 31, 2006
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Majorana: from atomic and molecular, to nuclear physics
In the centennial of Ettore Majorana's birth (1906-1938?), we re-examine some aspects of his fundamental scientific production in atomic and molecular physics, including a not well known short…
R. Pucci, G. G. N. AngilellaMay 25, 2006
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Historical and interpretative aspects of quantum mechanics: a physicists' naive approach
Many theoretical predictions derived from quantum mechanics have been confirmed experimentally during the last 80 years. However, interpretative aspects have long been subject to debate. Among them,…
B. Berche, C. Chatelain, C. Dufour et al.May 24, 2006
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Bologna and the Cooperation with Developing Countries
A brief recollection is made of the many scientific collaborations of Bologna with colleagues from Developing Countries. In particular are discussed in detail the collaborations in some recent…
Giorgio GiacomelliMay 16, 2006
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The Issue of the Beginning in Quantum Gravity
The goal of this report is to provide an up to date account of results on the quantum nature of the big bang, obtained in loop quantum cosmology. They suggest a radical modification of the paradigm…
Abhay AshtekarMay 9, 2006
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Consequences of Dirac Theory of the Positron
According to Dirac's theory of the positron, an electromagnetic field tends to create pairs of particles which leads to a change of Maxwell's equations in the vacuum. These changes are…
W. Heisenberg, H. EulerMay 4, 2006
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Interpreting Mathematics in Physics: Charting the Applications of SU(2) in 20th Century Physics
The role mathematics plays within physics has been of sustained interest for physicists as well as for philosophers and historians of science. We explore this topic by tracing the role the…
Ronald Anderson, G. C. JoshiMay 1, 2006
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Singularity Theorems in General Relativity: Achievements and Open Questions
In this short note, a brief overview with a critical appraisal of the acclaimed singularity theorems, the most genuine post-Einsteinian result of General Relativity, is presented.
José M. M. SenovillaApr 30, 2006
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Ettore Majorana: quantum mechanics of destiny
We show that a number of apparently separate extravagant Majorana's actions, including those connected with his disappearance are united by the invariant of behavior. It is based on "carrying…
O. B. ZaslavskiiApr 28, 2006
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A Lighthouse Falls
Professor A. K. Raychaudhuri suddenly passed away on 18th June 2005. I have attempted to give a glimpse of his life and work, and more specifically his role as a great teacher and inspiring force to…
Naresh DadhichApr 23, 2006
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Majorana and the investigation of infrared spectra of ammonia
An account is given on the first studies on the physics of ammonia, focusing on the infrared spectra of that molecule. Relevant contributions from several authors, in the years until 1932, are…
E. Di GreziaApr 21, 2006
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String Theory - From Physics to Metaphysics
Currently, string theory represents the only advanced approach to a unification of all interactions, including gravity. In spite of the more than thirty years of its existence it did not make any…
Reiner HedrichApr 20, 2006
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Introduction to the Workshop "30 years of bubble chamber physics"
After some recollections of the early bubble chamber times, a brief overview of the golden age of the field is made, including its legacy and the use of bubble chamber events for the popularization…
Giorgio GiacomelliApr 19, 2006
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The Landscape "avant la lettre"
This is a translation of an inaugural speech given originally in Dutch in 1998. The topic of that speech, intended for a general audience, was what is now called "The Anthropic Landscape of…
A. N. SchellekensApr 18, 2006
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Four variations on Theoretical Physics by Ettore Majorana
An account is given of some topical unpublished work by Ettore Majorana, revealing his very deep intuitions and skilfulness in Theoretical Physics. The relevance of the quite unknown results obtained…
S. EspositoApr 7, 2006
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