Unmechanischer Zwang: Pauli, Heisenberg, and the Rejection of the Mechanical Atom, 1923-1925

Serwer, Daniel

doi:10.2307/27757371

Cited by 42 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Conceivably, it might have morphed, by combination with the matter-wave hypothesis (de Broglie 1922), into some orbit-wave model, until superceded-but also partly validated-by Schrödinger's wave mechanics. On the other hand, it is likely that the old quantum theory's contradictions did accelerate the development of matrix mechanics by making young Pauli and Heisenberg sufficently angry (Serwer 1977), and mature Born desperate enough, to advance their radical, abstract theories. These are, of course, conjectures and anybody's guess, affected by personal preference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rise and fall of the old quantum theory

Bucher

2008

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The old quantum theory of Bohr and Sommerfeld was abandonned for the wrong reason. Its contradictions were caused not by the orbit concept but by a mental barrier-the inconceivability that an electron might collide with the atomic nucleus. Removing that barrier resolves the theory's main failures-incorrect orbital momenta, He atom, H + 2 molecule ion. The inclusion of electron oscillations through the nucleus-a concept called "Coulomb oscillator"-renders the old quantum theory consistent with quantum mechanics (although devoid of wave character). The triple success of the Bohr-Sommerfeld model is its correct description of the H atom (and one-electron ions) concerning (1) the energy levels E nl , (2) the orbital angular momenta L nl -if corrected as L 2 nl = l(l + 1) 2 and with the Coulomb oscillator included-and (3) the orbits' space quantization-with (L nl ) z = m l . These achievements are succinctly represented by the principal, angular and magnetic quantum numbers (n, l, m l ) and visualized by orbital ellipse geometry-major axis, vertex curvature, and tilt angle, respectively. Orbit geometry also accounts for the average orbit size. Moreover, the Coulomb oscillator provides a natural explanation of (isotropic) hyperfine interaction. The shortcomings of the old quantum theory lie in its neglect of three properties of particles-their spin, their wave nature and their quantum statistics. These deficiencies notwithstanding, the visual appeal of the Bohr-Sommerfeld model remains a pedagogical asset to complement the abstract character of quantum mechanics.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rise and fall of the old quantum theory

Bucher

2008

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The question was whether the description of atoms was to be realistic or formal? A pertinent example is Werner Heisenberg's core model theory to explain the anomalous Zeeman effect and Wolfgang Pauli's outspoken critical response (Heisenberg 1925b,a;MacKinnon 1977;Serwer 1977;Mehra 1982c [pages 198-205]; Hendry 1984 [pages 49-64]; Beller 1999 [page 53]; Kragh 2012 [pages 322-325]; Darrigol 1992 [pages 240-241]). Furthermore, the use of Einstein's theory in Ladenburg's derivation and its relationship to the light quantum did not escape Bohr.…”

Section: Darwin's 1922 Theory Of Optical Dispersionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Charles Galton Darwin’s 1922 quantum theory of optical dispersion

Johnson

2020

EPJ H

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The quantum theory of dispersion was an important conceptual advancement which led out of the crisis of the old quantum theory in the early 1920s and aided in the formulation of matrix mechanics in 1925. The theory of Charles Galton Darwin, often cited only for its reliance on the statistical conservation of energy, was a wave-based attempt to explain dispersion phenomena at a time between the theories of Ladenburg and Kramers. It contributed to future successes in quantum theory, such as the virtual oscillator, while revealing through its own shortcomings the limitations of the wave theory of light in the interaction of light and matter. After its publication, Darwin’s theory was widely discussed amongst his colleagues as the competing interpretation to Compton’s in X-ray scattering experiments. It also had a pronounced influence on John C. Slater, whose ideas formed the basis of the BKS theory.

show abstract

“…55 As Klaas Landsman (2007) emphasizes, "Heisenberg…identified the mathematical nature of the observables, whereas Schrödinger…found the description of the states" (p. 428). 56 For detailed analyses of some of these bewildering developments, see, e.g., (Serwer, 1977) and (Forman, 1968(Forman, , 1970.…”

Section: Dispersion Theory As the Bridge Between The Old Quantum Theo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part two

Duncan

Janssen

2007

Arch. Hist. Exact Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.

show abstract

Unmechanischer Zwang: Pauli, Heisenberg, and the Rejection of the Mechanical Atom, 1923-1925

Cited by 42 publications

References 37 publications

Rise and fall of the old quantum theory

Rise and fall of the old quantum theory

Charles Galton Darwin’s 1922 quantum theory of optical dispersion

On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part two

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About