Ian T. Durham

Contextuality: Wheeler’s Universal Regulating Principle

In this essay I develop quantum contextuality as a potential candidate for Wheeler’s universal regulating principle, arguing—contrary to Wheeler—that this ultimately implies that ‘bit’ comes from ‘it’.

Quantum frameness for charge-parity-time inversion symmetry

Michael Skotiniotis, 2, ∗ Borzu Toloui, 3 Ian T. Durham, † and Barry C. Sanders Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria Department of Physics, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, United States Department of Physics, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH 03102 (Dated: May 7, 2014)

Eddington and Uncertainty

Abstract.Arthur Stanley Eddington (1882-1944) is acknowledged to be one of the greatest astrophysicists of the twentieth century, yet his reputation suffered in the 1930s when he embarked on a quest to develop a unified theory of gravity and quantum mechanics. His attempt ultimately proved to be fruitless and was regarded by many physicists as misguided. I will show, however, that Eddington’s work was not so outlandish. His theory applied quantum-mechanical uncertainty to the reference frames of relativity and actually foreshadowed several later results. His philosophy regarding determinism and uncertainty also was quite orthodox at the time. I first review Eddington’s life and philosophy and then discuss his work within the context of his search for a theory of quantum gravity.

RETHINKING THE HISTORY OF SOLAR WIND STUDIES: EDDINGTON'S ANALYSIS OF COMET MOREHOUSE

Arthur Eddingtons very early career is often overshadowed by his later accomplishments. For many years the work he performed at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was little studied. In some cases, citations to his work in major journals did not appear for more than three decades. One of his earliest works was a mathematical analysis of the shapes of the envelopes of Comet Morehouse, a non-periodic comet discovered in 1908. Eddingtons description of the envelopes, in mathematical terms, as paraboloids projected in two dimensions as parabolas, was not studied in earnest until after his death. Although the primary conclusion of his work has recently been modified, there are several other statements he makes about the source of the creation of these envelopes that suggest he should be acknowledged as the first person to suggest that there is a continuous outflow of ions from the Sun.

Measuring acceleration using the Purcell effect

We show that a two-level atom resonantly coupled to one of the modes of a cavity field can be used as a sensitive tool to measure the proper acceleration of a combined atom-cavity system. To achieve it we investigate the relation between the transition probability of a two-level atom placed within an ideal cavity and study how it is affected by the acceleration of the whole. We indicate how to choose the position of the atom as well as its characteristic frequency in order to maximize the sensitivity to acceleration.

God’s Dice and Einstein’s Solids

What role does chance play in the universe? Quantum theory suggests that randomness is a fundamental part of how the universe works and yet we live mostly intentional, ordered lives. We make decisions with the expectation that our decisions matter. How is it possible for this directed and seemingly deterministic world to arise from mere randomness? In this essay I show that simple combinatorial systems behave in precisely this manner and I discuss the implications of this for theories that include notions of free will.

Boundaries of Scientific Thought

The scientific revolution, as understood to be the rise of modern science, began in the late Renaissance and took firm hold during the Enlightenment.

The Raven and the Writing Desk

In this essay, I use a dialogue between characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to discuss the relationship of mathematics to physical reality. In it, I propose that there are two realities: representational and tangible. Mathematics belongs to the former. We can reconcile the two by taking Eddington’s stance that the universe is nothing more than our description of it.

Rethinking the Scientific Enterprise: In Defense of Reductionism

In this essay, I argue that modern science is not the dichotomous pairing of theory and experiment that it is typically presented as, and I offer an alternative paradigm defined by its functions as a human endeavor. I also demonstrate how certain scientific debates, such as the debate over the nature of the quantum state, can be partially resolved by this new paradigm.

Quantum resource theory for charge-parity-time inversion

We develop a complete resource theory of charge-parity-time (CPT) inversion symmetry for both massive and massless relativistic particles of arbitrary spin. We show that a unitary representation of CPT can be consistently constructed for all spins and develop the resource theory associated with CPT superselection, thereby identifying and quantifying the resources required to lift the superselection rule.