Events of this year listed by inverse chronological order.
Chronological index and latest events.
Theories reducing to quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics doesn't
This 49 pages Research draft analyzes the internal consistency of different quantum theories of electrodynamics, their compatibility with quantum mechanics, and their confrontation with experiments and observations.
The theories considered are: relativistic quantum electrodynamics —both field
and spacetime
formulations—; relativistic quantum dynamics; and action-at-a-distance quantum theory.
This Research report extends, to the quantum domain, the classical results obtained before (PRE 1997, 53, 5373; PRE 1998, 57, 3683; CSR:20093) and shows [...]
An introduction to the new fine-grained theory was given in the second part: Trajectory branching in space as the source of irreversibility. As was said therein, the new theory may be considered a generalization of the fine-grained theory developed during last decades by the Brussels-Austin School. In this event, I will sketch how the new theory reproduces the known pragmatic and semiphenomenological quantum approaches developed in the last decades by at least six communities: NMR chemists, quantum optics, condensed matter physicists, mathematical physicists, astrophysicists, and condensed phase chemical physicists and physical chemists [...]
An introduction to irreversibility was given in the first part: The quest for the ultimate theory of time, an introduction to irreversibility. In this event, the author want to communicate the recent advances done in our comprehension of irreversibility. This information is derived from a research program in progress and must be taken with caution. However, the research results obtained at the Center seem highly reasonable.
It is realized by an increasing number of physicists and chemists that the solution of the problem of the arrow of time
requires an extension of classical and quantum mechanics. The XXIth Solvay Conference on Physics has been devoted to Dynamical Systems and Irreversibility. There has been no unanimity in choosing the way in which the extension of classical or quantum mechanics has to be performed to include the dynamical description of irreversible processes. [...]
I do not believe that we, scientists, can develop any ultimate theory
and I do not claim to have one. I have chosen the above title for this event, in direct relation to the last book by —The quest for the ultimate theory of time— because I wanted to be a bit ironic here.
I smile each occasion that arrogant string theorists talk me about their theory of everything
, specially because their approach is built over several approximations and outdated formalisms. Somehow related is the recent perplexity of mathematical physicists as who has reported his shocking finding of a curious generalization of Hamiltonian mechanics that involves entropy
without being aware that more fundamental and elegant formalisms, as the canonical one, have been known to physical chemists and chemical physicists for more than thirty years now!
My comments on entropic generalizations of mechanics are available in This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 295) (external hyperlink). For a basic review of the outdated aspects of both string and M theory see Canonical science: its history, goals, and future—. [...]
In his blog ACS – Day 4: Peer-Review Reviewed (external hyperlink), takes notices of a critique given by on the current state of chemical peer-review at the recent ACS National Meeting in San Francisco. She reports some problems with peer-review, but did not give many solutions to these problems.
Other problems with peer-review include the demonstration that it is useless at detecting research fraud. A set of solutions to the problems of peer-review is given in the report Science in the 21st century: social, political, and economic issues. [...]
Theories reducing to Coulombian electrodynamics, relativistic electrodynamics doesn't
This Research report studies the Coulombian limit of six theories, presenting the difficulties and inconsistencies found when rigorously revised. The theories considered are: relativistic field electrodynamics; electrodynamics theory; electrodynamics; electrodynamics; dual electrodynamics; and action-at-a-distance theory.
This Research report shows that (i) the assertion that relativistic field electrodynamics reduces to the theory of as well as (ii) the assertion that the static-field-low-velocity relativistic equation of motion is identical to the Coulombian equation of motion do not hold up on close inspection. For instance, the Coulombian potential ϕ = ϕ\(R\(t\)\) cannot be reproduced by the field potential (\ab ^)ϕ = (\ab ^)ϕ \( (\ab ^) x‚(\ab ^) t \) of relativistic electrodynamics in any limit. This is in agreement with earlier results showed in Phys. Rev. E (1997, 53, 5373; 1998, 57, 3683). It is also demonstrated that some observational difficulties of relativistic theories of electromagnetism —such as the unphysical self-interactions— are related to their lack of compatibility with Coulombian electrodynamics. [...]
A new year and many changes! First, you may find an overall new look in our website. The new design is still more minimalist than the previous one. Contents have been re-archived, which means that the oldest hyperlinks to this site must be updated.
A new membership model with download bonuses is available. This is a clear advantage for regular readers. [...]