Related papers: Enrico Fermi and the Old Quantum Physics
This book provides an introduction to the emerging field of quantum thermodynamics, with particular focus on its relation to quantum information and its implications for quantum computers and next generation quantum technologies. The text,…
After reviewing the role of phase in quantum mechanics, I discuss, with the aid of a number of unpublished documents, the development of quantum phase operators in the 1960's. Interwoven in the discussion are the critical physics questions…
I write about H\'ector, his contributions to the early work in the quark model, and a general discussion of quantum statistics
In the centennial of Ettore Majorana's birth (1906-1938?), we re-examine some aspects of his fundamental scientific production in atomic and molecular physics, including a not well known short communication. There, Majorana critically…
In 1934 Enrico Fermi accepted an invitation to deliver lectures in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. He arrived in Buenos Aires on July 30, lectured in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, La Plata and Montevideo, and then moved on August 18 to Sao Paulo…
In his 1916's first paper on gravitational waves Einstein began to speculate on interactions between the principles of the old quantum theory and his theory of gravitation. With this contribution Einstein has stimulated a lot of similar…
A general overview of neutrino physics is given. The history of the neutrino starting from Pauli and Fermi is briefly presented. Two-component neutrinos, the phenomenological V-A theory and the standard model are discussed. The problem of…
A very elementary introduction to quantum algebras is presented and a few examples of their physical applications are mentioned.
This doctoral dissertation presents an in-depth analysis of the first six chapters of Eddington's Fundamental Theory, sometimes referred to as his 'statistical' theory, in the context of discoveries and advancements made since its original…
We attempt to contribute some novel points of view to the "foundations of quantum mechanics", using mathematical tools from "quantum probability theory" (such as the theory of operator algebras). We first introduce an abstract algebraic…
We give, for the first time, the English translation of a manuscript by Ettore Majorana, which probably corresponds to the text for a seminar delivered at the University of Naples in 1938, where he lectured on Theoretical Physics. Some…
We investigate the physics of quantum reference frames. Specifically, we study several simple scenarios involving a small number of quantum particles, whereby we promote one of these particles to the role of a quantum observer and ask what…
These notes summarise the lectures given at the International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi" in Summer 2024 in Varenna (Italy) about the strongly coupled quantum many-body theory and its applications to nuclear structure. The lectures…
The history of the Institute of Physics at the University of Florence is traced from the beginning of the 20th century, with the arrival of Antonio Garbasso as Director (1913), to the 1960s. Thanks to Garbasso's expertise, not only did the…
This introductory text on the basics of quantum mechanics is intended to serve as a kind of travel guide through the quantum world. It starts by asking whether quantum physics is important, or weird, or incomprehensible. It explains why…
Why is it interesting to try to understand the origin of the universe? Everything we observe today, including our existence, arose from that event. Although we still do not have a theory that allows us to describe the origin itself, the…
A critical review of frequency-shift phenomena a la Doppler effect is presented. The importance of Fermi's theory of 1932 is pointed out, and it is argued that there exists a gap in our understanding of this phenomena at a fundamental…
Feynman gave a famous elementary introduction to quantum theory by discussing the thin-film reflection of light. We make his discussion mathematically rigorous, keeping it elementary, using his other idea. The resulting model leads to…
Enrico Fermi lived from 1901 to 1954, a period of great progress in physics and a period in which opportunities for women to study and work in institutions of higher learning increased significantly in Europe and North America. Though there…
We comment on a recent paper announcing the discovery of a previously unknown publication of Ettore Majorana on the Thomas-Fermi atomic model. In pointing out that such a publication was not written by Majorana, we correct some…