Complementarity, wave-particle duality, and domains of applicability
| Autor: | Peter Bokulich |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
History
010308 nuclear & particles physics General Physics and Astronomy Conflation String theory 01 natural sciences Complementarity (physics) Physics::History of Physics Bohr model symbols.namesake Wave–particle duality History and Philosophy of Science Quantum mechanics 0103 physical sciences symbols 010306 general physics Mathematical economics Quantum Mathematics |
| Zdroj: | Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics. 59:136-142 |
| ISSN: | 1355-2198 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.shpsb.2017.06.004 |
| Popis: | Complementarity has frequently, but mistakenly, been conflated with wave-particle duality, and this conflation has led to pervasive misunderstandings of Bohr's views and several misguided claims of an experimental “disproof” of complementarity. In this paper, I explain what Bohr meant by complementarity, and how this is related to, but distinct from, wave-particle duality. I list a variety of possible meanings of wave-particle duality, and canvass the ways in which they are (or are not) supported by quantum physics and Bohr's interpretation. I also examine the extent to which wave-particle duality should be viewed as an example of the sort of dualities one finds in, e.g., string theory. I argue that the most fruitful way of reading of Bohr's account complementarity is by comparing it to current accounts of effective theories with limited domains of applicability. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full Text from ScienceDirect