By Theodore Arabatzis
Either a historical past and a metahistory, Representing Electrons specializes in the advance of varied theoretical representations of electrons from the past due Nineties to 1925 and the methodological difficulties linked to writing approximately unobservable clinical entities.Using the electron—or particularly its representation—as a old actor, Theodore Arabatzis illustrates the emergence and slow consolidation of its illustration in physics, its occupation all through outdated quantum idea, and its appropriation and reinterpretation through chemists. As Arabatzis develops this novel biographical process, he portrays medical representations as partially independent brokers with lives of their very own. in addition, he argues that the enormous variance within the illustration of the electron doesn't undermine its strong id or existence.Raising philosophical problems with contentious debate within the historical past and philosophy of science—namely, medical realism and which means change—Arabatzis addresses the background of the electron throughout disciplines, integrating ancient narrative with philosophical research in a ebook that would be a touchstone for historians and philosophers of technology and scientists alike.
Read or Download Representing Electrons: A Biographical Approach to Theoretical Entities PDF
Similar particle physics books
Heavy electrons are discovered between a couple of lanthanide and actinide compounds, and are characterised by way of a wide powerful mass which turns into akin to the mass of a muon. Heavy electrons express wealthy phenomena resembling unconventional superconductivity, vulnerable antiferromagnetism and pseudo metamagnetism, notwithstanding, the various validated rules and strategies with regards to theoretical and experimental physics of strongly correlated electrons are inadequate to appreciate heavy electrons.
It is a evaluation monograph on quark–gluon plasma (QGP). various theoretical and experimental points of this system to supply QGP in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are coated by means of specialists within the box. this is often the 3rd quantity in a chain at the topic, and the 1st such monograph to target the results of the experimental effects from RHIC, the relativistic heavy-ion collider on the nationwide Brookhaven Laboratory.
Precision Electroweak Physics at Electron-Positron Colliders
This up to date quantity studies the hot contributions of electron-positron colliders to the precision try out of the electroweak commonplace version. particularly, it incorporates a brief precis of the measurements on the Z resonance and provides an outline of the electroweak techniques above the Z. thus, the dimension of the W mass at LEP is mentioned intimately.
Additional info for Representing Electrons: A Biographical Approach to Theoretical Entities
Sample text
That is, no epistemological criteria have been formulated whose satisfaction would amount to an existence proof of an unobservable entity. In particular, Hacking's proposal that manipulability provides such a proof leaves much to be desired (see chapter 9). The merits and limitations of Hacking's view with respect to the discovery of the electron will be discussed in chapter 3. If these two possibilities capture the philosopher's main stances toward the issue of scientific discovery, a third possibility captures the scientist's perspective.
Quarks), since we have no access to those entities independently of the descriptions provided by our theories (for details see chapter 9). Ian Hacking tried to remedy this defect of Putnam's theory and make it a potent tool for the construction of a realist epistemology concerning those unobservable entities which can be manipulated in the laboratory. Hacking's view will be examined and partially rejected in chapter 9. I think, however, that the Putnam-Hacking approach toward meaning and realism is promising and deserves to be further developed.
317-336, esp. pp. 322-323; M. V. ), Scientific Discovery, Logic, and Rationality, pp. 201-219, esp. pp. 201-202; and L. ), SCientific Discovery, LOgic, and Rationality, pp. 173-183, esp. pp. 174-175. 48. The exceptions are important. , G. Gutting, "Science as Discovery," Revue Internationale de Philosophie, 131-132 (1980): 26 - 48; Hoyningen-Huene, "Context of Discovery and Context ofJustification"; N. Koertge, "Explaining Scientific Discovery," in P. D. Asquith and T. ), PSA 1982: Proceedings of the 1982 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy ofScience Association, 2 vols.