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By
Anirudh Singh
Anirudh Singh
Adjunct Professor, School of Sciences,
University of Southern Queensland
, Queensland QLD4300,
Australia
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This timely book demonstrates how analyzing the conceptual basis of our physical reasoning can lead to new and far-reaching insights into the issues that confront today's physics and cosmology communities. It addresses the need for a new conceptual framework that combines our ideas of physics with aspects of history and measurement and provides a basis for further analysis. It traces the developments in physics over the past three decades since the merger of the relativistic phenomenologies of Einstein with the fundamental concepts of particle physics.

Other key discussions:

  • Examine popular misrepresentations of physical concepts, including the notional existence of Maxwell's Demon.

  • Establish the role of the observer in determining physical reality.

  • Propose a relationship between the nature of physical laws and the theory of the universe.

  • Introduce a new model of physical reality that can assist scientists and thinkers with a partial resolution of conceptual dilemmas.

Concepts and the Foundations of Physics is an essential read for physicists, cosmologists, and philosophy of science enthusiasts interested in a historical discussion of the metaphysical foundations of modern physics.

To Arya, Arnav, and Hira

Grow up quickly and do something great!

Starting to write a book such as this is not easy. It does not fall into any of the usual book categories relating to science or philosophy. One might attempt to classify it traditionally as a cross-disciplinary scientific study with a physics focus, but what I wanted to write was not really something that satisfied this sort of straight-jacketed definition.

The decision to write the book thus required a lot of motivation, advice, and a bit of courage. I am, therefore, extremely grateful to Ranjan Singh for his support. He encouraged me to go for it when I first mentioned the idea of the book to him. Since then, he has provided me with key research support, and the necessary inspiration whenever I needed it. Most importantly, he gave me the necessary encouragement to keep me going to the end.

My grateful appreciation also goes to my family for their patience and understanding while I was engrossed with writing, at the expense of quality time with them.

Theories of the electronic structure of atoms began with the Bohr theory in 1913. According to this theory, electrons in atoms occupied discrete energy levels, which could be used to predict the (optical) spectra of atoms. However, when the atom was placed in a strong magnetic field, the spectral lines split up into several components, the simplest of such splitting being the doublet produced in the spectra of alkali atoms. This “anomalous Zeeman effect” remained an enigma until Pauli took up the challenge of solving it.

In a magnetic field, the energy levels of an electron become dependent on the orientations of their angular momenta. The Bohr theory could not explain the occurrence of the observed doublet structure (as well as other, more complex, structures). At the time, it was not realized that the electron had an intrinsic spin angular momentum of its own.

Wolfgang Pauli had been pondering over the doublet problem for a considerable time and, in 1925, made his thoughts known when he stated that “the doublet structure of the alkali spectra is due to a particular two-valuedness of the quantum properties of the electron.” He expressed the “two-valuedness” of the electronic property by introducing a fourth quantum number to describe the electronic states. In the process, he actually predicted the value of this quantum number to be ½ (which happened to be the same as the intrinsic spin quantum number of the electron, to be discovered later). This prophetic statement was based on observations of the doublet structure alone. The actual suggestion that an electron had an intrinsic electron spin as well as that due to its orbit around the nucleus came the following year, from George Uhlenbeck and Samuel Goudsmith, who are now credited for its discovery.

Pauli's prediction demonstrates the power and importance of conceptual analysis in the elucidation of unsolved problems in physics. It is just one example of how a critical evaluation of the concepts can provide a breakthrough in the development of physics. Another example is Einstein's analysis and evaluation of the equivalence between gravitational and inertial masses. This equivalence had been known to physicists since the time of Newton and earlier, but the information was not utilized to any advantage until Einstein examined it critically. He interpreted the inertial mass of a body as a measure of its inertia, and the gravitational mass as a measure of the effectiveness of a gravitational field on the body. With the achievement of this crucial step, he was able to launch his mission to make all reference frames equivalent, and lay the foundation stones for his General Theory of Relativity.

These two examples should be sufficient to show that simple inferences and interpretations form the basis of many great discoveries. Indeed, one may say that behind many great discoveries lie such simple acts of analysis and interpretation.

This book aims to demonstrate the importance of fully understanding the underlying concepts describing a situation in physics before venturing further. A primary aim is to show that, often, this analysis stage is sufficient in itself to arrive at valuable conclusions. Part I of the book provides the basic analytical apparatus to assist in carrying out such analyses. It also applies the technique to identify possible misconceptions and misinterpretations that have led to the confusion of strongly correlated concepts with the equation between information and work in the popular literature, and to the belief that Maxwell's Demon can exist.

Part II of the book homes in on physics per se and begins by analyzing and recounting the conceptual development of physics over time. The concept of symmetry plays a large part in the development of the theories of particle physics, and a chapter is devoted to an introduction to the subject. The close association of physics with reality is stressed, as is the need for an observer to measure and interpret the results of physical investigations.

It is argued in Chap. 11 that, in certain situations, physical reality is actually created through the act of measurement. It is shown that the subjective and the hypothetical may in such cases be turned into reality through the act of measurement during the timespan of the experimental investigation. This whole process is dubbed the Spectrum of Reality.

The first of the two chapters of Part III deals with issues that have emerged as a result of the historical development of physics. The last chapter returns to an investigation of the conceptual framework of physics, points out its strong correlation with the evolution of the theories of the universe, and makes statements on other fundamental notions such as (the origins of) symmetry, nature, and the laws of physics.

This book is meant for all those who are keenly interested in the quest for knowledge of the nature of our physical universe, want to know something about what our scientists are doing today to elucidate it, and are eager to feel involved. I hope you will find it useful.

Anirudh Singh

Saweni, Lautoka

June 2021

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