Skip to content

History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 137

physics.hist-phBrowse archive

Dirac's wave mechanical theory of the electron and its field theoretical interpretation
Editorial note: In this lecture, held at the meeting of the Berlin Physical Society, October 25, 1929, Lanczos discusses a nonlinear generalization of Proca's equation (derived from his…
Cornelius LanczosAug 10, 2005
Learn
The tensor analytical relationships of Dirac's equation
Dirac's equation of the electron will be discussed by using quaternions as the basis of a new formalism which seems to be very well adapted to the problem. The transformation properties of the…
Cornelius LanczosAug 10, 2005
Learn
Radioactivity Induced by Neutrons: a Thermodynamic Approach to Radiative Capture
When Enrico Fermi discovered slow neutrons, he accounted for their great efficiency in inducing radioactivity by merely mentioning the well-known scattering cross-section between neutrons and…
Alberto De GregorioAug 8, 2005
Learn
Light Quanta and Molecules: A Contribution to the Annus Mirabilis
Einstein's contributions to statistical mechanics and quantum theory are reviewed. We also provide a detailed discussion of his thesis on suspensions that led to a good value of the Avogadro…
Norbert StraumannJul 19, 2005
Learn
Determinism and Indeterminism
Determinism and indeterminism in physical theories are reviewed and some broader implications of determinism are discussed.
Robert C. BishopJun 11, 2005
Learn
Albert Einstein visits Argentina
This is a detailed, day by day, account of Albert Einstein's activities, both social and scientific, during his 30-day stay in Argentina in 1925, including his lectures on relativity at the…
Alejandro Gangui, Eduardo L. OrtizJun 6, 2005
Learn
On Dirac's incomplete analysis of gauge transformations
Dirac's approach to gauge symmetries is discussed. We follow closely the steps that led him from his conjecture concerning the generators of gauge transformations at a given time --to be…
Josep M. PonsJun 2, 2005
Learn
Remembering Sergio Fubini
The author recollects Sergio Fubini's impact on field theory (radial quantization, merons, conformal quantum mechanics) and on MIT.
R. JackiwMay 13, 2005
Learn
On Einstein's Doctoral Thesis
Einstein's thesis ``A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions'' was the second of his five celebrated papers in 1905. Although it is -- thanks to its widespread practical applications…
Norbert StraumannApr 27, 2005
Learn
Einstein and Hilbert: The Creation of General Relativity
It took eight years after Einstein announced the basic physical ideas behind the relativistic gravity theory before the proper mathematical formulation of general relativity was mastered. The efforts…
Ivan T. TodorovApr 25, 2005
Learn
Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976)
A brief review of Heisenberg's life and work: participating in the youth movement in the aftermath of World War I, creating quantum mechanics, conflict with "deutsche Physik", involvement…
Ivan TodorovApr 25, 2005
Learn
Hooke's memorandum on the development of orbital dynamics
I discuss a memorandum entitled " A True state of the Case and Controversy between Sir Isaak Newton and Dr. Robert Hooke as the Priority of that Noble Hypothesis of motion of ye Planets about ye…
Michael NauenbergApr 13, 2005
Learn
On Wave-Particle Duality
By means of a thought-experiment, consisting of an interference experiment with two interfering beams, it is shown that it can be demonstrated experimentally that with one single particle a wave can…
W. De BaereApr 6, 2005
Learn
The Neutrino - Its Past, Present and Future
The review consists of two parts. In the first part the critical points in the past, present and future of neutrino physics (nuclear, particle and astroparticle) are reviewed. In the second part the…
Ivan V. AnicinMar 22, 2005
Learn
Comment on "Heisenberg in Poland" by Jeremy Bernstein
Some erroneous and misleading statements in an article by J. Bernstein on Heisenberg's visit to Cracow during the war are corrected.
Klaus GottsteinMar 21, 2005
Learn
Ettore Majorana's course on Theoretical Physics: a recent discovery
We analyze in some detail the course of Theoretical Physics held by Ettore Majorana at the University of Naples in 1938, just before his mysterious disappearance. In particular we present the…
A. Drago, S. EspositoMar 10, 2005
Learn
Il corso di Fisica teorica di Ettore Majorana: il ritrovamento del Documento Moreno
We analyze in some detail the course of Theoretical Physics held by Ettore Majorana at the University of Naples in 1938, just before his mysterious disappearance. In particular we give an account of…
S. EspositoMar 10, 2005
Learn
Invariant Variation Problems
The problems in variation here concerned are such as to admit a continuous group (in Lie's sense); the conclusions that emerge from the corresponding differential equations find their most…
Emmy Noether, M. A. TavelMar 8, 2005
Learn
Translation of Einstein's Attempt of a Unified Field Theory with Teleparallelism
We present the first English translation of Einstein's original papers related to the teleparallel ('absolute parallelism', 'distant parallelism' and the German…
Alexander Unzicker, Timothy CaseMar 6, 2005
Learn
Enrico Fermi and the discovery of neutron-induced radioactivity: a project being crowned
This paper deals with the Physics Institute of via Panisperna in Rome, getting ready for investigation on neutron physics before Fermi's discovery of neutron-induced radioactivity. The importance…
Alberto De GregorioJan 27, 2005
Learn
Why does the meter beat the second?
The French Academy units of time and length - the second and the meter - are traditionally considered independent from each other. However, it is a matter of fact that a meter simple pendulum beats…
P. Agnoli, G. D'AgostiniJan 25, 2005
Learn
Solar Oblateness from Archimedes to Dicke
The non-spherical shape of the Sun has been invoked to explain the anomalous precession of Mercury. A brief history of some methods for measuring solar diameter is presented. Archimedes was the first…
Costantino Sigismondi, Pietro OlivaJan 17, 2005
Learn
The Challenge of Editing Einstein's Scientific Manuscripts
Einstein's research manuscripts provide important insights into his exceptional creativity. At the same time, they can present difficulties for a publication in the documentary edition of the…
Tilman SauerDec 22, 2004
Learn
The Golden Mean and the Physics of Aesthetics
The golden mean, Phi, has been applied in diverse situations in art, architecture and music, and although some have claimed that it represents a basic aesthetic proportion, others have argued that it…
Subhash KakDec 11, 2004
Learn
Arago (1810): the first experimental result against the ether
95 years before Special Relativity was born, Arago attempted to detect the absolute motion of the Earth by measuring the deflection of starlight passing through a prism fixed to the Earth. The null…
Rafael Ferraro, Daniel M. SforzaDec 9, 2004
Learn
← PreviousPage 137Next →