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    From Aether Regained@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 3 10:35:00 2024
    In 1926, after failing to convince Bohr and Heisenberg that wave
    mechanics can get rid of quantum jumps, SchrΓΆdinger exclaimed:

    𝐼𝑓 𝑀𝑒 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘”π‘œ π‘œπ‘› π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘›π‘’π‘‘
    π‘žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘š π‘—π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘ , π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘› 𝐼'π‘š π‘ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝐼 π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ
    π‘”π‘œπ‘‘ π‘–π‘›π‘£π‘œπ‘™π‘£π‘’π‘‘. --𝐸. π‘†π‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ

    26 years later, in 1952, SchrΓΆdinger returned to this question in the
    paper: '𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 π‘Έπ’–π’‚π’π’•π’–π’Ž π‘±π’–π’Žπ’‘π’”?'

    https://web.archive.org/web/20210914022807/www.ub.edu/hcub/hfq/sites/default/files/Quantum_Jumps_I.pdf

    [SchrΓΆdinger reiterates that one of his main motivations for his intense research into a more detailed atomic model was that the atomic jumps of
    the Bohr model didn't sit well with him]:

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bohr’s theory held the ground for about a dozen of years, scoring a
    grand series of so marvelous and genuine successes, that we may well
    claim excuses for having shut our eyes to its one great deficiency:
    while describing minutely the so-called β€œstationary” states which the
    atom had normally, i.e. in the comparatively uninteresting periods when
    nothing happens, the theory was silent about the periods of transition
    or β€œquantum jumps” (as one then began to call them). Since intermediary states had to remain disallowed, one could not but regard the transition
    as instantaneous; but on the other hand, the radiating of a coherent
    wave train of 3 or 4 feet length, as it can be observed in an
    interferometer, would use up just about the average interval between two transitions, leaving the atom no time to β€œbe” in those stationary
    states, the only ones of which the theory gave a description.

    This difficulty was overcome by quantum mechanics, more especially by
    Wave Mechanics, which furnished a new description of the states;

    ... [Wave mechanics] is most easily grasped by the simile of a vibrating
    string or drumhead or metal plate, or of a bell that is tolling. If such
    a body is struck, it is set vibrating, that is to say it is slightly
    deformed and then runs in rapid succession through a continuous series
    of slight deformations again and again. There is, of course, an infinite variety of ways of striking a given body, say a bell, by a hard or soft,
    sharp or blunt instrument, at different points or at several points at a
    time. This produces an infinite variety of initial deformations and
    accordingly a truly infinite variety of shapes of the ensuing vibration:
    the rapid β€œsuccession of cinema pictures,” so we might call it, which describes the vibration following on a particular initial deformation is infinitely manifold. But in every case, however complicated the actual
    motion is, it can be mathematically analysed as being the superposition
    of a discrete series of comparatively simple β€œproper vibrations,” each
    of which goes on with a quite definite frequency. This discrete series
    of frequencies depends on the shape and on the material of the body, its density and elastic properties. It can be computed from the theory of elasticity, from which the existence and the discreteness of proper
    modes and proper frequencies, and the fact that any possible vibration
    of that body can be analysed into a superposition of them, are very
    easily deduced quite generally, i.e. for an elastic body of any shape whatsoever.

    The achievement of wave mechanics was, that it found a general model
    picture in which the β€œstationary” states of Bohr’s theory take the role of proper vibrations, and their discrete β€œenergy levels” the role of the proper frequencies of these proper vibrations; and all this follows from
    the new theory, once it is accepted, as simply and neatly as in the
    theory of elastic bodies, which we mentioned as a simile. Moreover, the radiated frequencies, observed in the line spectra, are in the new
    model, equal to the differences of the proper frequencies; and this is
    easily understood, when two of them are acting simultaneously, on simple assumptions about the nature of the vibrating β€œsomething.”

    But to me the following point has always seemed the most relevant, and
    it is the one I wish to stress here, because it has been almost obliteratedβ€”if words mean something, and if certain words now in general
    use are taken to mean what they say. The principle of superposition not
    only bridges the gaps between the β€˜stationary’ states, and allows, nay compels us, to admit intermediate states without removing the
    discreteness of the β€œenergy levels” (because they have become proper frequencies); but it completely does away with the prerogative of the stationary states. The epithet stationary has become obsolete. Nobody
    who would get acquainted with Wave Mechanics without knowing its
    predecessor (the Planck-Einstein-Bohr-theory) would be inclined to think
    that a wave-mechanical system has a predilection for being affected by
    only one of its proper modes at a time. Yet this is implied by the
    continued use of the words β€œenergy levels,” β€œtransitions,” β€œtransition
    probabilities.”

    The perseverance in this way of thinking is understandable, because the
    great and genuine successes of the idea of energy parcels has made it an ingrained habit to regard the product of Planck’s constant β„Ž and a frequency as a bundle of energy, lost by one system and gained by
    another. How else should one understand the exact dove-tailing in the
    great β€œdouble-entry” book-keeping in nature?

    𝐼 π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑑 π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝑖𝑛 π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘’π‘  𝑏𝑒
    π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘œπ‘›.

    One ought at least to try, and look upon atomic frequencies just as
    frequencies and drop the idea of energy-parcels. I submit that the word 'energy' is at present used with two entirely different meanings,
    macroscopic and microscopic. Macroscopic energy is a ' quantity-concept
    '. Microscopic energy, meaning β„ŽΞ½, is a 'quality-concept' or 'intensity-concept'; it is quite proper to speak of high-grade and
    low-grade energy according to the value of the frequency v. True, the macroscopic energy is, strangely enough, obtained by a certain weighted summation over the frequencies, and in this relation the constant β„Ž is operative. But this does not necessarily entail that in every single
    case of microscopic interaction a whole portion β„ŽΞ½ of macroscopic energy
    is exchanged. I is believe one allowed to regard microscopic interaction
    as a continuous phenomenon without losing either the precious results of
    Planck and Einstein on the equilibrium of (macroscopic) energy between radiation and matter, or any other understanding of phenomena that the parcel-theory affords.

    The one thing which one has to accept and which is the inalienable
    consequence of the wave-equation as it is used in every problem, under
    the most various forms, is this : that the interaction between two
    microscopic physical systems is controlled by a peculiar law of
    resonance. This law requires that the difference of two proper
    frequencies of the one system be equal to the difference of two proper frequencies of the other:

    (Eqn. I) Ξ½_1 - Ξ½_1' = Ξ½_2' - Ξ½_2

    The interaction is appropriately described as a gradual change of the amplitudes of the four proper vibrations in question. People have kept
    to the habit of multiplying this equation by β„Ž and saying it means, that
    the first system (index 1) has dropped from the energy level, β„ŽΞ½_1 to
    the level β„ŽΞ½_1', the balance being transferred to the second system, enabling it to rise from β„ŽΞ½_2 to β„ŽΞ½_2'. This interpretation is
    obsolete. There is nothing to recommend it, and it bars the
    understanding of what is actually going on. It obstinately refuses to
    take stock of the principle of superposition, which enables us to
    envisage simultaneous gradual changes of any and all amplitudes without surrendering the essential discontinuity, if any, namely that of the frequencies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Obviously, my interest in SchrΓΆdinger's picture, is that it is
    compatible with an aether, while discrete quantum jumps make no sense
    from an aether point of view.

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  • From bertietaylor@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jul 4 02:05:15 2024
    Antenna theory beats all.
    Read the physics aphorisms of Arindam.

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