dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaFermi and the Elucidation of Matter
| Authors | Frank Wilczek |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0112077 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0112077 |
Abstract
Fermi helped establish a new framework for understanding matter, based on quantum theory. This framework refines and improves traditional atomism in two crucial respects. First, the elementary constituents of matter belong to a very small number of classes, and all objects of a given class (e.g., all electrons) are rigorously identical, indeed indistinguishable. This profound identity is demonstrated empirically through the phenomena of quantum statistics, and is explained by the principles of free quantum field theory. Second, objects of one class can mutate into objects of other classes. Such mutability can be understood as manifesting interacting quantum field theory. Fermi contributed to establishing theoretical foundations for the new viewpoint, through his work on quantum statistics and quantum field theory, and to its fruitful application and empirical validation, through his work on beta decay, nuclear transmutation, and primeval strong interaction theory.
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"abstract": "Fermi helped establish a new framework for understanding matter, based on\nquantum theory. This framework refines and improves traditional atomism in two\ncrucial respects. First, the elementary constituents of matter belong to a very\nsmall number of classes, and all objects of a given class (e.g., all electrons)\nare rigorously identical, indeed indistinguishable. This profound identity is\ndemonstrated empirically through the phenomena of quantum statistics, and is\nexplained by the principles of free quantum field theory. Second, objects of\none class can mutate into objects of other classes. Such mutability can be\nunderstood as manifesting interacting quantum field theory. Fermi contributed\nto establishing theoretical foundations for the new viewpoint, through his work\non quantum statistics and quantum field theory, and to its fruitful application\nand empirical validation, through his work on beta decay, nuclear\ntransmutation, and primeval strong interaction theory.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0112077",
"authors": [
"Frank Wilczek"
],
"categories": [
"physics.hist-ph",
"hep-ph",
"hep-th"
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"title": "Fermi and the Elucidation of Matter",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0112077"
},
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