Corruption of Modern Physics 3: Quantum Mechanics

I don't like it (standard quantum mechanics) and I am sorry I ever had anything to do with it. 

Sabine Hossenfelder with her blog BackReAction is in trouble from expressing her opinion as physicist about particle physics as the central subject for contemporary physicists:

• They don’t like to hear that their field urgently needs to change direction, so they attack me as the bearer of bad news. 
• Everyone can see that nothing useful is coming out of particle physics, it’s just a sink of money. Lots of money. 
• And soon enough governments are going to realize that particle physics is a good place to save money that they need for more urgent things. 

This is a tough message. No wonder that Sabine is in trouble and that particle physicists are angry. But does Sabine have something important to say? Let's see. 

In recent posts I have been seeking the origin of the present crisis of physics witnessed by (not only) Sabine, in the work of Einstein on particle nature of light (origin of particle physics) and special/general relativity as a cornerstone of modern physics (filled with never resolved mysteries/contradictions).  

Let us now turn to quantum mechanics as the other cornerstone, with the crisis in full bloom from incompatibility with general relativity, which Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life to resolve in a fruitless search for a general field theory including both gravitation and electromagnetics/quantum mechanics.

Quantum mechanics is based on the (linear) Schrödinger equation for a (scalar complex-valued) wave function $\Psi (x1, x2, ..., xN,t)$ for an $N$-electron system/atom depending on $N$ three-dimensional space coordinates $x1$ to $xN$ and a time coordinate $t$, thus depending on $3N$ space coordinates and one time coordinate. Since physical reality has at most three space dimensions, the wave function can be given a direct physical meaning only for a system with one electron, that is for the Hydrogen atom. To Schrödinger as the creator of the Schrödinger equation this created deep frustration, since he required the wave function to be Anschaulich or possible to visualise (in three space dimensions). Moreover, as pointed out by Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn, already for a system with $10$ electrons the wave function is impossible to compute because its high dimensionality. This makes it possible to claim that the wave function can never be wrong.

In short, (standard) quantum mechanics as based on the (standard linear scalar) Schrödinger equation presents severe difficulties, which have never been overcome despite intense struggle by the sharpest minds over 100 years. The way out became to give up physicality/reality and give the wave function a statistical meaning as suggested by Born. In short, the (standard) wave function has no direct physical meaning and in addition is uncomputable, which physicists rationalise by saying (following Bohr) that since the wave function contains everything that can be said and correctly predicts the outcome of any experiment, it is not necessary to understand its real meaning. A physicist can handle this by confessing that he/she does not understand quantum mechanics (and nobody else either).

To sum up, modern physics is based on two theories (relativity and quantum mechanics) both loaded with unresolvable difficulties/mysteries, which together are incompatible/contradictory. No wonder a crisis has developed with ever more fanciful ingredients of multi-versa, string theory and dark matter/energy.  

 

An understandable alternative to the standard linear multi-dimensional scalar Schrödinger equation is given in Real Quantum Mechanics in the form of a non-linear system of three-dimensional scalar real wave functions. Take a look and see that you can understand!

Bohr claimed that the objective of the theory of quantum mechanics (Schrödinger equation) is to (i) predict the outcome of experiments, not to (ii) explain the outcome of experiments as the real scientific objective. This is odd and adds to the mystery of quantum mechanics. The only role prediction of an experiment can serve is to support theory (if the prediction is correct) or falsify theory (if the prediction is incorrect). Since the wave function is uncomputable and thus unknown it cannot be used to make predictions. What can be done is, knowing the outcome of an experiment, to compute/design an approximate simplified wave function by reducing dimensionality, which always (miraculously) agrees with the experiment and so shows that modern physics is in perfect shape.  For more, see 72 posts on Quantum Contradictions.

Corruption of Modern Physics 2: Special Theory of Relativity

•  I neglected mathematics...because my intuition was not strong enough to differentiate the fundamentally important from the dispensable erudition. (Einstein 1900)
• The question whether the Lorentz contraction does or does not exist is confusing. It does not really exist in so far as it does not exist for an observer who moves (with the rod); it really exists, however, in the sense that it can as a matter of principle be demonstrated by a resting observer. (Einstein 1911).

Continuing the recent posts on Einstein's mistaken idea of light of frequency $\nu$ as a stream of particles named photons, each photon carrying an energy of $h\nu$ with $h$ Plank's constant, let us recall the analysis of Einstein's 1905 Special Theory of Relativity SR  presented in the book Many-Minds Relativity and blog posts on special theory of relativity, showing that SR is not a theory about physics. This was admitted by Einstein, who quickly gave up SR to turn to General Theory of Relativity in an even deeper state of confusion, see above quote. With Einstein's theories of relativity modern physics was misled away from the reality of Enlightenment into the fiction of Modernity, from real to fake.       

Einstein describes the set up of SR as two observers $O$ and $O^\prime$ moving with constant velocity with respect to each other, each observer being equipped with a measuring rod to measure distance in space and a clock to measure time, with sticks and clocks of the same fabrication. 

The essence of SR is a coordinate transformation between an Euclidean space-time coordinate system $(x,t)$ used by $O$ and a $(x^\prime ,t^\prime)$-system used by $O^\prime$ connected by the Lorentz (simple linear coordinate) transformation with $x$ and $x^\prime$ one dimensional space coordinates and $t$ and $t^\prime$ time coordinates, taking the form

• $x^\prime =\gamma (x-vt)$, $t^\prime = \gamma (t-vx)$, $\gamma =\frac{1}{\sqrt(1-v^2)}$,
• $x =\gamma (x^\prime+vt^\prime )$, $t = \gamma (t^\prime+vx^\prime )$.

where $\vert v\vert <1$ is viewed to be express that the two systems are moving with respect to each other with constant speed $\vert v\vert <1$. The Lorentz transformation has the property that a $x = t$ is transformed into $x^\prime  = t^\prime$,  which Einstein viewed to express the same speed of light = 1 in both systems, as the basic postulate of SR. 

In particular, a light signal emitted at $(0,0)$ from a stationary source in the $(x,t)$-system is supposed to follow the trajectory $x=t$ for $t>0$ in the $(x,t)$-system, and similarly a light signal emitted at $(0,0)$ by a stationary source in the $(x^\prime,t^\prime )$-system is supposed to follow the trajectory $x^\prime =t^\prime $ for $t^\prime>0$ in the $(x^\prime ,t^\prime )$-system. 

Lorentz had introduced his transformation well before Einstein took it up, but Lorentz had been careful to note that his transformation was not to be interpreted as a transformation between physical coordinates. 

Unfortunately this was not understood by the young Einstein (with little training in physics), who instead came to believe that both systems must represent physical coordinates, because no system seemed to have any preference before the other as an expression of relativity. 

This led Einstein to consider the light signals emitted at $(0,0)$ in the two systems described above to be the same light signal, and then described by coordinates in the two systems connected by the Lorentz transformation, thus subject to strange effects of space contraction and time dilation. But a light signal emitted at $(0,0)$ in the $(x,t)$ system, is not the same as a light signal emitted at $(0,0)$ in the $(x^\prime ,t^\prime )$-system, because the light sources are moving with respect to each other. 

More precisely, a light source consists of a collection of atoms extended in space emitting electromagnetic waves over some period of time, and the physics of two such light sources moving with respect to each other is different even if overlapping at $(0,0)$. Einstein missed this completely crucial aspect by considering space time events supposedly identified by specific isolated space-time coordinates, but then events without physics.

The only reasonable set up from physical point of view is to require the observer/observational equipment to be stationary in the space coordinate system used, as explored in Many-Minds Relativity. A light source can be moving (then generating a Doppler effect), but the observer/observational equipment cannot be allowed to move in the coordinate system being used. To insist that this restriction must be broken, asking $O$ to make observations in the $(x^\prime ,t^\prime )$-system and vice versa, as Einstein did in his confused state, is to ask for mysteries/paradoxes, which cannot be resolved. Asking the speed of light to be independent of both source and observer is the same as introducing an ether medium common to all observers, which has never been found.  

The unavoidable conclusion is that SR does not describe any real physics and so the strange effects of space contraction and time dilation of SR are not real but only fiction. This should come as a relief for all students of modern physics struggling without success to understand what is only confusion, while teachers of modern physics are expected to claim that they understand that SR for sure is a correct physical theory always agreeing perfectly with observation.    

To take home:

• The rate of a clock whether mechanical or atomic cannot be influenced by inertial motion. 
• With light second as new (1983) SI unit of space or measuring rod, the speed of light by definition is constant = 1 to all observers, and so Einstein's basic postulate is an agreement (matter of principle) without real physics. A theory based on postulates without real physics cannot say anything about real physics. The Lorentz coordinate transformation as the essence of SR, does not describe any real physics, because its basic postulate is rather an agreement than physical necessity.

Corruption of Modern Physics 1: Light as Particles

Photon/Energy Quanta Corrupters of Modern Physics

Modern Physics identified by quantum mechanics/atom mechanics as a revolution of classical non-atomistic continuum wave mechanics, was initiated by Planck in 1900 with his mathematical derivation of the spectrum of blackbody radiation based on a concept of energy quanta $hf$ (Joule) as discrete packets of energy with $h=6,62607015·10^{-34}$ Planck's constant and a $f$ a natural number (1,2,3,...) representing a frequency. 

Planck described his long struggle to motivate a high-frequency cut-off needed to avoid an  ultra-violet catastrophe with energies tending to infinity from frequencies without upper bound, as follows:   

• the whole procedure was an act of despair because a theoretical interpretation had to be found at any price, no matter how high that might be...

Frequencies can range from $10^{12}$ for infrared light to $10^{19}$ for gamma rays with corresponding energy quanta $hf$ ranging from $10^{-20}$ to $10^{-14}$ Joule, thus macroscopically very small. Planck did not view his energy quanta to represent real physics, because atom physics was not yet born, and then only as a mathematical trick to achieve high-frequency cut-off from a statistical argument.  

The next step towards quantum mechanics was taken in 1905 by the young Einstein in his "heuristic derivation" of the law of photoelectricity (already formulated by Hertz in 1887 on the basis of experiments), where Einstein picked up the idea of energy quanta $hf$ from Planck, to motivate why shining light on a metal surface releases electrons from the surface only if the light frequency is large enough, as if an energy quanta $hf$ of sufficient strength is needed to release one electron. Einstein's basic "heuristic idea" was thus that exactly one energy quantum later named photon ejects exactly one electron.

Einstein thus suggested to view light as a stream of photons/energy quanta each one if large enough capable of ejecting one electron. But this was only "heuristics" without real physics as admitted by Einstein in 1951:

• All these 50 years of conscious brooding have brought me no nearer to the answer to the question, "What are light quanta"? Nowadays every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks he knows it, but he is mistaken.

A decisive step towards quantum mechanics was taken by the Nobel Prize Committee awarding the 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics to Planck for "his discovery of energy quanta" (in his derivation of black body spectrum), and the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics to Einstein for "his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect", thus sending the World a message of light as a stream of particles/photons/energy quanta. This work by Planck and Einstein is still the main "evidence" presented for the "particle nature of light", while all real physics evidence shows "wave nature" expressed in Maxwell's equations for electromagnetics and Schrödinger's equation for quantum mechanics. 

This is where modern physics stands today 100 years later coming to expression as the firm belief of a physicist (whether Nobel Laureate or not) that every material body as real physics is emitting an unstoppable shower of light particles/photons depending on its temperature, but not on the medium surrounding the body. This connects to the discussion with Will Happer still without conclusion.

Planck and Einstein viewed energy quanta/photons/light particles as a "heuristic" concept, which could be useful in certain types of theoretical arguments (statistics or cut-off), but which lacked real physics. Unfortunately this is forgotten by physicists of today, who do not object to an alarm of CO2 Warming caused by Downwelling Long Wave Radiation as stream/shower of energy quanta/photons emitted by the atmosphere and being absorbed by the Earth surface. 

It is important to distinguish between real physics and phantom physics. In phantom physics you are allowed to use concepts without physical meaning if it serves your objectives. In phantom physics you  can view the radiative exchange of heat energy between two bodies as a two-stream flow of photon particles transferring massive heat energy back-and-forth even if the bodies have the same temperature.

It is the same as believing your bank account to be connected to all other bank accounts with a massive one billion dollar transfer back and forth every moment. Or that you are connected to all other people on the web with a constant exchange back and forth of the same one Gbyte message every moment. 

This type of belief lacks real physics because it involves massive transfer back-and-forth, which is unstable and so cannot persist over time. To rely on unstable processes is dangerous and will result in misfortune. 

Corruption involves massive back-and-forth transfer of services/commodities. Corrupted physics involves massive back-and-forth transfer of heat energy. 

For a derivation of the laws of black body radiation and photoelectricity based on real physics carried by electromagnetic waves, see Mathematical Physics of Blackbody Radiation.  For quantum mechanics without particles, see Real Quantum Mechanics.