Quantum physics, illusion or reality?

Alastair I. M. Rae0521542669, 9780521542661, 9780511231506

The concept of Quantum Physics led Einstein to state that “God does not play dice”. The difficulty he, and others, had with Quantum Physics was the great conceptual leap it requires taking from conventional ways of thinking about the physical world. Alastair Rae’s introductory exploration into this area has been hailed as a “masterpiece of clarity” and is an engaging guide to the theories offered. This revised edition contains a new chapter covering theories developed during the past decade. Alastair Rae has been a Lecturer, a Senior Lecturer, then Reader in Quantum Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at University of Birmingham from 1967-2003. His publications include the First Edition of Quantum Physics, (Cambridge, 1994) and Quantum Mechanics (Institute of Physics, 2002), now in its Fourth Edition. First Edition Pb (1994): 0-521-46716-0

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Half-title……Page 5
Title……Page 7
Copyright……Page 8
Dedication……Page 9
Contents……Page 11
Preface to the first edition……Page 13
Preface to the second edition……Page 15
1 · Quantum physics……Page 17
Light waves……Page 20
Photons……Page 23
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle……Page 27
Atoms and matter waves……Page 29
Beyond the atom……Page 31
Condensed matter……Page 33
The polarisation of light……Page 35
The polarisation of photons……Page 39
Hidden variables……Page 47
3 · What can be hidden in a pair of photons?……Page 50
Bell’s theorem……Page 55
The experiments……Page 61
Discussion……Page 65
4 · Wonderful Copenhagen?……Page 68
Copenhagen and EPR……Page 71
The measurement problem……Page 74
Schrödinger’s cat……Page 79
5 · Is it all in the mind?……Page 83
Quantum physics and reductionism……Page 93
6 · Many worlds……Page 97
7 · Is it a matter of size?……Page 111
Superconductivity……Page 117
8 · Backwards and forwards……Page 125
Indelible records……Page 126
Irreversibility……Page 127
Irreversibility and measurement……Page 133
9 · Only one way forward?……Page 136
Return to the measurement problem……Page 140
10 · Can we be consistent?……Page 144
Actualisation……Page 152
11 · Illusion or reality?……Page 155
General bibliography……Page 165
3 · What can be hidden in a pair of photons?……Page 166
6 · Many worlds……Page 167
10 · Can we be consistent?……Page 168
Index……Page 169