The Vacuum in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1994:77 - 87 (1994)
| Abstract | The status of the vacuum in relativistic quantum field theory is examined. A sharp distinction arises between the global vacuum and the local vacuum. The concept of local number density is critically assessed. The global vacuum state implies fluctuations for all local observables. Correlations between such fluctuations in space-like separated regions of space-time are discussed and the existence of correlations which are maximal in a certain sense is remarked on, independently of how far apart those regions may be. The analogy with the mirror-image correlations in the singlet state of two spin-1/2 particles is explained. The connection between these maximal correlations and the well-known violation of the Bell inequality in the vacuum state is discussed, together with the way in which the existence of these correlations might be exploited in developing a vacuum version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument. The recent relativistic formulation of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument by Ghirardi and Grassi is critically assessed with particular reference to the vacuum case. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,631 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesMario Bacelar Valente (2011). A Case for an Empirically Demonstrable Notion of the Vacuum in Quantum Electrodynamics Independent of Dynamical Fluctuations. Journal for General Philosophy of Science 42 (2):241-261.
L. Boi (2011). The Quantum Vacuum: A Scientific and Philosophical Concept, From Electrodynamics to String Theory and the Geometry of the Microscopic World. Johns Hopkins University Press.
E. S. & H. Zinkernagel (2002). The Quantum Vacuum and the Cosmological Constant Problem. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B 33 (4):663-705.
Svend E. Rugh & Henrik Zinkernagel (2002). The Quantum Vacuum and the Cosmological Constant Problem. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B 33 (4):663-705.
Paul Teller (1993). Vacuum Concepts, Potentia, and the Quantum Field Theoretic Vacuum Explained for All. Midwest Studies in Philosophy 18 (1):332-342.
Simon Saunders & Harvey R. Brown (eds.) (1991). The Philosophy of Vacuum. Oxford University Press.
Hans Halvorson (2001). Reeh-Schlieder Defeats Newton-Wigner: On Alternative Localization Schemes in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory. Philosophy of Science 68 (1):111-133.
David Z. Albert (1988). On the Possibility That the Present Quantum State of the Universe is the Vacuum. PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1988:127 - 133.
Richard Healey (2010). Gauge Symmetry and the Theta Vacuum. In Mauricio Suarez, Mauro Dorato & Miklos Redei (eds.), EPSA Philosophical Issues in the Sciences. Springer.
Rob Clifton & Hans Halvorson (2001). Entanglement and Open Systems in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B 32 (1):1-31.
Paul Teller (1982). Comments on the Papers of Cushing and Redhead: "Models, High-Energy Theoretical Physics and Realism" and "Quantum Field Theory for Philosophers". PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1982:100 - 111.
Miklos Redei (1991). Bell's Inequalities, Relativistic Quantum Field Theory and the Problem of Hidden Variables. Philosophy of Science 58 (4):628-638.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2011-05-29Total downloads28 ( #43,979 of 548,973 )Recent downloads (6 months)2 ( #37,438 of 548,973 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
