Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Physics
Perspectives On Determinism In Quantum Mechanics: Born, Bohm, And The “Quantal Newtonian” Laws, Viraht Sahni
Perspectives On Determinism In Quantum Mechanics: Born, Bohm, And The “Quantal Newtonian” Laws, Viraht Sahni
Publications and Research
Quantum mechanics has a deterministic Schrödinger equation for the wave function. The Göttingen–Copenhagen statistical interpretation is based on the Born Rule that interprets the wave function as a “probability amplitude.” A precept of this interpretation is the lack of determinism in quantum mechanics. The Bohm interpretation is that the wave function is a source of a field experienced by the electrons, thereby attributing determinism to quantum theory. In this paper, we present a new perspective on such determinism. The ideas are based on the equations of motion or “Quantal Newtonian” Laws obeyed by each electron. These Laws, derived from …
Perspectives On Determinism In Quantum Mechanics: Born, Bohm, And The 'Quantal Newtonian' Laws, Viraht Sahni
Perspectives On Determinism In Quantum Mechanics: Born, Bohm, And The 'Quantal Newtonian' Laws, Viraht Sahni
Publications and Research
Quantum mechanics has a deterministic Schrödinger equation for the wave function. The Göttingen-Copenhagen statistical interpretation is based on the Born Rule that interprets the wave function as a ‘probability amplitude’. A precept of this interpretation is the lack of determinism in quantum mechanics. The Bohm interpretation is that the wave function is a source of a field experienced by the electrons, thereby attributing determinism to quantum theory. In this paper we present a new perspective on such determinism. The ideas are based on the equations of motion or ‘Quantal Newtonian’ Laws obeyed by each electron. These Laws, derived from the …
Electrostatics At The Molecular Level, Ulrich Zurcher
Electrostatics At The Molecular Level, Ulrich Zurcher
Physics Faculty Publications
In molecular systems, positive and negative charges are separated, making them ideal systems to examine electrostatic interactions. The attractive force between positive and negative charges is balanced by repulsive ‘forces’ that are quantum-mechanical in origin. We introduce an ‘effective’ potential energy that captures the repulsion; it allows us to obtain fairly accurate estimates of the bonding properties of molecular systems. We use units (e.g., kcal mol–1 for energy) that emphasize the relevance of electrostatics to macroscopic behavior.