Abstract
MR. STOPES-ROE sees a difficulty for the pure particle theory of diffraction in the assumption of ‘collective action’ of the reacting body as a whole, be it a crystal, or a screen with slits, or I may add any measuring instrument. But this collective action is justified, and is always taken for granted in the non-relativistic theory where communication is instantaneous from one to the other end of a body. All quantum mechanics, not only Duane's and Epstein–Ehrenfest's special example of diffraction, rests on this collective action, even to a much farther degree than envisaged by Dr. Stopes-Roe, namely, when symmetry principles are applied not only to a rigid body but even to a gas as a whole. In a relativistic theory of the future this may have indeed to be amended. But I agree with the quantum theorists in all they do on weekdays, when they practise the unitary quantum theory of particles and systems of particles known as quantum mechanics which includes Duane's theory of particle diffraction. I take exemption only from the Sunday talk about a quite obsolete duality with double manifestations and two subjective pictures instead of one physical reality—obsolete since Duane's and Born's statistical particle interpretation. For example, I agree that the equality of the angles of incidence and reflexion of a small particle from a surface of a heavy wall is due to the conservation laws in reaction to the wall as a whole. But I would disagree if a dualist should tell me that this equality is due to a wave interlude, with the particle ‘manifesting’ itself as spread out over the whole surface and being reflected according to the Huyghens interference principle. The only difference from a crystal is that the wall does not have selective periodicities, hence is not restricted to selective momentum transfer yielding selective angles of incidence and reflexion. Here as there I regard ‘duality’ as superfluous ideological ballast, which may not hurt the expert but certainly confuses the student, who may as well be told from the very beginning that there is a unitary particle theory of mechanical interaction, good enough for weekdays and Sundays.
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LANDÉ, A. Interpretation of Quantum Physics. Nature 193, 1277 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/1931277a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1931277a0
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