Extensions
of Quantum Physics( paperback, 127 pages; ISBN 0-9683689-8-0 )
edited by Andrzej Horzela and Edward Kapuscik
Extensions
of Quantum Physics
(
paperback, 127 pages; ISBN 0-9683689-8-0 )
edited by Andrzej Horzela and Edward Kapuscik
Papers presented at a workshop on Extensions of Quantum Physics held in Krakow, Poland, October 12-15, 2000. The workshop was devoted to controversial new experimental results in quantum tunnelling and their theoretical interpretation, including such topics as superluminal signal velocities and the locality problem, localization of photons in tunneling, preferred reference systems in Maxwell electrodynamics, and tunnelling through many-barrier and many-layer systems.
In 1999 we began holding the Cracow-Clausthal annual workshops devoted to unsolved fundamental problems of quantum mechanics. The workshops were initiated by Professor Heinz-Dietrich Doebner from the Arnold Sommerfeld Institute of Mathematical Physics and the Technical University of Clausthal at Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany), and by a our group at the Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics at Krakow (Poland). The first workshop was organized under the title Tunneling Effect and Other Fundamental Problems of Quantum Physics and was held in Krakow from November 22 to 28 of that year. During all the discussions the participants came to the conclusion that the framework of the workshops should be enlarged, and that the appropriate name for all future workshops would be {\it Extensions of Quantum Theory}. The second workshop was held in Krakow from October 12 to 15, 2000. The third, which was held from July 18 to 21, 2001 was associated with the 2nd International Symposium {\it Quantum Theory and Symmetries}, organized by us and hosted by the H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics Simultaneously, it was agreed that the results of the workshops should be published in a collection of regular articles in special volumes. It is our pleasure to present the first such a volume, which covers some topics discussed up to now. We are grateful to the publisher of Apeiron, C. Roy Keys, for providing us this opportunity. The present volume starts with a discussion of superluminal signal velocities in tunneling experiments with microwaves, and a controversy connected with the locality problem. Then we continue with the problem of localization for photons, which also belongs to the list of unsolved problems of quantum theory. Closely related to these topics are the problems of time of arrival in quantum physics and preferred reference systems in Maxwell electrodynamics. A new look at the problem of superluminal velocities is presented on the basis of spacetimes with multidimensional times. In addition, the complicated problem of tunneling through many succesive bariers and many-layer systems is discussed. The utility of lesser-known representations of quantum physics in describing the tunneling effect is also presented. Finally, we have decided to include in this volume a paper which discusses possible use of quantum non-commutative geometries for constructing more realistic quantum models of our Universe. In our view, newer emerging models will naturally incorporate more observational events and be fundamentally different from currently used models of spacetime. In particular, we believe that in such models all the fundamental cosmological observations which contradict the standard point of view will find their natural explanation. Apart from fundamental problems, we also welcome new applications of standard theories. This is why we have included here some papers containing interesting results obtained in traditional frameworks. We wish to express our deep gratitude to the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research for providing the funding that made it possible to hold all the workshops, and to all those who helped us in preparing the workshops, in particular to Professor Andrzej Budzanowski, Director General of the H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics and to our colleagues in the Institute. Last but not least, we extend special thanks to all the contributors to this volume. We also hope our readers will find this volume to be of interest, and that they will look forward to further installments. Andrzej Horzela and Edward Kapuscik
G. Nimtz, A. Haibel, A. A. Stahlhofen, and
R.-M. Vetter. On Universal Properties of Tunneling
G. C. Hegerfeldt. Particle Localization and the Notion of Einstein Causality
A. S. Shumovsky. Locality of Quantum Electromagnetic Radiation
J. Leon. Time of Arrival in Classical and Quantum Mechanics
J. Rembielinski. Superluminal Phenomena and the Phenomenological Maxwell
Equations
V. S. Barashenkov and M. Z. Yuriev. Sub- and Superluminal Velocities in Space
with Vector Time
V. S. Olkhovsky, E. Recami, and G. Salesi. Superluminal Tunneling through Two
Successive Barriers
A. M. Gabovich, V. M. Rozenbaum, and A. I. Voitenko. Tunneling in Two- and
Three-layer Systems with Allowance for Dynamic Image Forces
B. Segev. Tunneling in the Wigner Representation
M. Heller. Geometric Structure of the Big Bang
L. Kostro. The Quantities c4/G and c5/G and the Basic Equations of Quantum
Mechanics
P. Machnikowski, P. Magnuszewski, and A. Radosz. Stability of the Bell-shaped
Excitations in Discrete Models of Molecular Chains
Andrzej Horzela was born in 1952 in Kraków, Poland. He studied physics at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków from 1971 to 1976. In 1980 he received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Jagiellonian University, and was appointed to the Department of Theoretical Physics of the Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kraków, where he is presently employed. In 1986-1987 he was research scientist at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, and in 1993 at Georgia State University in Athens, Georgia. He is the author of some 40 scientific papers devoted to the foundations of quantum theory and special relativity.
Edward Kapuścik was born in 1938 in Racibórz, Poland. He studied physics at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków from 1956 to 1961. Since 1961 he has worked at the Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kraków, where he was appointed to a Professorship in 1988. From 1986 to 1989 he served as Deputy Director of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna. In 1991 he was Visiting Professor at Georgia State University in Athens, Georgia. From 1992 to 1998 he was a professor at the Kraków Pedagogical University. At present he is an Ordinary Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Łódź. His research focuses on foundations of quantum physics, electrodynamics and special and general relativity. He has authored more than 90 original scientific papers.