Part I: Particles and Fields. Part II: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

583 Pages·1997·63.285 MB·English

by  Arthur S. Wightman

The Collected Works of Eugene Paul Wigner
Part A· Volume III
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
Eugene Paul Wigner
The Collected Works of Eugene Paul Wigner
Part A
The Scientific Papers
Editor: Arthur Wightman
Annotated by
Nandor Balazs Herman Feshbach Brian Judd Walter Kohn
George Mackey Jagdish Mehra Abner Shimony Alvin Weinberg
Arthur Wightman
Part B
Historical, Philosophical, and
Socio-Political Papers
Editor: Jagdish Mehra
Annotated by
Conrad Chester Gerard Emch J agdish Mehra
The Collected Works of Eugene Paul Wigner
Part A
The Scientific Papers
Volume I
Part I: Eugene Paul Wigner-A Biographical Sketch
Part II: Applied Group Theory 1926-1935
Part III: The Mathematical Papers
Volume II
Nuclear Physics
Volume III
Part I: Particles and Fields
Part II: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Volume IV
Part I: Physical Chemistry
Part II: Solid State Physics
Volume V
Nuclear Energy:
Part I: Eugene Wigner and Nuclear Energy
Part II: Memoir of the Uranium Project
Part III: Articles, Reports, and Memoranda on Nuclear Energy
Part IV: The Wigner Patents
Part B
Historical, Philosophical, and Socio-Political Papers
Volume VI
Philosophical Reflections and Syntheses
Volume VII
Historical and Biographical Reflections and Syntheses
Volume VIII
Socio-Political Reflections and Civil Defense
The Collected Works of
Eugene Paul Wigner
Part A
The Scientific Papers
Volume III
Part I: Particles and Fields
Annotated by Arthur Wightman
Part II: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Annotated by Abner Shimony
Edited by ArthurS. Wightman
Springer
Arthur S. Wightman
Department of Physics, Princeton University
Joseph Henry Laboratories, Jadwin HalI
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
Abner Shimony
Department of Philosophy and Physics
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215, USA
The photograph of E. P. Wigner on page II is reproduced from the frontispiece of the publication
EIlgene P. Wigner: An Arr:hitect of the Atomic Age by Francis S. Wagner.
(Râk6czi Foundation Biobibliographies. 1). Râk6czi Foundation Toronto 1981
ISBN 978-3-642-08179-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
(Revised for pl. A, v. 1, pl. 1-3)
Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-. The collected works of Eugene Paul Wigner.
Includes bibliographical references.
Contents: pl. A. The scientific papers - v. 1, pl.l. A biographical sketchlby Jagdish Mehra.
pl. 2. Applied group theory 1926-35 annotatedlby Brian Judd.
pt. 3. Mathematical papers annotatedlby George Mackey-
- v. 5. Nuclear energy. 1. Mathematical physics. 1. Weinberg, Alvin Martin, 1915-. Il. Title
QCI9.3.w54 1992 530 92-38376
ISBN 3-540-55343-6 (Berlin: v. 5)
ISBN 978-3-642-08179-8 ISBN 978-3-662-09203-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-09203-3
This work is subject to copyright. AII right~ are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifical
Iy the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any
other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions
of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained
from Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH. Violations are liable for prosecution
under the German Copyright Law.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1997
Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in I 997
Softcover reprin! of the hardcover I s! edition 1997
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the ab
sence of a specitic statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore
free for general use.
Typesetting of the annotations and the reset contributions: Springer TEX in-house system
SPIN 10077944 55/3143 - 5 4 3 2 I 0-Printed on acid-free paper
Editors' Preface
The papers have been divided, necessarily somewhat arbitrarily, into two parts
Part A: The Scientific Papers
Part B: Historical, Philosophical, and Socio-Political Papers
Within each part, the papers have been divided by subject, and within each
subject printed chronologically. With some exceptions, every scientific paper is
reprinted in its original form. One class of exceptions consists of papers that
are simply translations into Hungarian from German or English; they are omit
ted, but listed in the bibliographies. Scientific papers originally in Hungarian
have been translated into English. Some of the papers of Volume VI Part III,
Articles, Reports, and Memoranda on Nuclear Energy, have been reset and the
figures redrawn. The originals were declassified reports, some in nearly illegible
shape. Some reports and patents in Volume VI Part III and Part IV are listed
by title only. In contrast to the scientific papers where the coverage is essentially
complete, in Part B, a selection has been made. We believe it is representative
of Wigner's far ranging concerns. The five books in which Wigner was involved
as author, co-author, or lecturer are not reprinted in The Collected Works, but
are noted in the annotations and bibliographies.
After the publication of Volume I, V, and VI of The Collected Works,
Eugene Wigner died (1 January 1995). The heirs of his estate have donated his
scientific papers and correspondence to Princeton University where they are
available to researchers at
The Eugene P. Wigner Papers
Manuscripts Division
Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
Princeton University Libraries
Springer-Verlag and the co-editors of The Collected Works intend to give to
Princeton University for inclusion in this collection, whatever scientific papers
are left over after the publication of The Collected Works is complete.
Jagdish Mehra
ArthurS. Wightman
Contents
PART I
Particles and Fields
Wigner on Particles and Fields
Annotation by ArthurS. Wightman 3
Remark on Einstein's New Formulation of the Principle
I
of General Relativity Eine Bemerkung zu Einsteins
neuer Formulierung des allgemeinen Relativitiitsprinzips 25
Calculation of the Nat ural Line Breadth on the Basis
I
of Dirac's Light Theory Berechnung der natiirlichen Linienbreite
auf Grund der Diracschen Lichttheorie (with V. Weisskopf) . . . . . . . . . . 30
On the Natural Line Breadth in the Radiation of the Harmonic
I
Oscillator Uber die natiirliche Linienbreite in der Strahlung
des harmonischen Oszillators (with V. Weisskopf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Relativistic Wave Equations I Relativistische Wellengleichungen . . . . . . . . 62
Group Theoretical Discussion of Relativistic Wave Equations
(with V. Bargmann) . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 82
Do the Equations of Motion Determine the Quantum Mechanical
Commutation Relations? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Some Remarks on the Infinite de Sitter Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
The Intrinsic Parity of Elementary Particles
(with G. C. Wick and A. S. Wightman) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . 102
On Kinematic and Dynamic Laws of Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Conservation Laws in Classical and Quantum Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Relativistic Invariance in Quantum Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Relativistic Invariance of Quantum-Mechanical Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Must the Photon Mass Be Zero?
Discussion of Paper by L. Bass and E. Schrodinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Quantum Limitations of the Measurement of Space-Time Distances
(with H. Salecker) . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Measurement of the Curvature in a Two-Dimensional Universe . . . . . . . . . 155
Geometry of Light Paths Between Two Material Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Invariant Quantum Mechanical Equations of Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Events, Laws of Nature, and Invariance Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Classical Relativistic Mechanics of Interacting Point Particles
(with H. Van Dam) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . 199
X Contents
The Conceptual Basis and Use of the Geometric Invariance Principles
(with R. M. F. Houtappel and H. Van Dam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Instantaneous and Asymptotic Conservation Laws for Classical
Relativistic Mechanics oflnteracting Point Particles (with H. Van Dam) 244
de Sitter Space and Positive Energy (with T. 0. Philips) ................ 250
Proof of the Fermion Superselection Rule Without the Assumption
of Time-Reversal Invariance (with G. C. Hegerfeldt and K. Kraus) . . . . 296
Relativistic Interaction of Classical Particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Superselection Rule for Charge (with G. C. Wick and A. S. Wightman) . . 307
Summary of the Course: What I Have Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Relativistic Wave Equations Admitting Only Positive Energy . . . . . . . . . . 321
Invariant Theoretic Derivation of the Connection
Between Momentum and Velocity (with S.M. W. Ahmad) . . . . . . . . . . . 322
On the Relation Between Momentum and Velocity
for Elementary Systems (with R. F. O'Connell) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Position Operators for Systems Exhibiting the Special Relativistic
Relation Between Momentum and Velocity (with R. F. O'Connell) . . . 335
Fifty Years of Symmetry Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
The Basic Conflict Between the Concepts of General Relativity
and of Quantum Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
I
Is the Principle of Causality Valid? Gilt das Kausalitatsprinzip? . . . . . . . 351
The Role and Value of Symmetry Principles and Einstein's Contribution
to Their Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
The Meaning of Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
The Use and Ultimate Validity of Invariance Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Are Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Theory Consistent? . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Cylindrical Group and Massless Particles (withY. S. Kim) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Covariant Phase-Space Representation for Localized Light Waves
(withY. S. Kim) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Bibliography of Papers on Particles and Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Papers Reprinted in Volume III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Papers Related But Reprinted in Other Volumes
of The Collected Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Papers Related But Not Reprinted in The Collected Works . . . . . . . . . . 397
PART II
Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Wigner on Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Annotation by Abner Shimony ...................................... 401
I
The Measurement of Quantum Mechanical Operators Die Messung
quantenmechanischer Operatoren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
The Probability of the Existence of a Self-Reproducing Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Quantum Mechanical Measurements (with M. Yanase) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431