A. Cetto - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by A. Cetto

Il Nuovo Cimento B, 1972

SummaryThe empirical formulaD =ℏ/2m, common to all stochastic interpretations of quantum mechanic... more SummaryThe empirical formulaD =ℏ/2m, common to all stochastic interpretations of quantum mechanics, is demonstrated under the assumption that the stochasticity is due to the presence of the zero-point radiation field. The demonstration is indirect and requires the calculation of the radiative correction to the energy of a harmonic oscillator as given by the stochastic theory of quantum mechanics; this approximate calculation does not involve any divergence or cut-off, and yields a result which is in good agreement with the prediction of quantum electrodynamics.RiassuntoSi dimostra la formulaD =ℏ/2m, comune a tutte le interpretazioni stocastiche della meccanica quantistica, nell’ipotesi che la stocasticità sia dovuta alla presenza del campo di radiazioni di punto zero. La dimostrazione è indiretta e richiede il calcolo della correzione radiativa all’energia dell’oscillatore armonico quale è data dalla teoria stocastica della meccanica quantistica; questo calcolo approssimato non coinvolge nessuna divergenza o taglio, e dà un risultato che è in buon accordo con la predizione dell’elettrodinamica quantistica.РезюмеB пpeдположении, что стох астичность обусловлена наличие м радиационного поля в нулевой точке, р ассматривается эмпи рическая формула D = ħ/2m, известная во всех сто хастических интерпр етациях квантовой механики. Р ассмотрение является непрямым и т ребует вычисления ра диационной поправки к энергии га рмонического осциллятора в том вид е, как дает стохастиче ская теория квантовой механики. Э то приближенное вычи сление не содержит ка ких-либо расходимост ей или обрезаний и дае содержит каких-либо р асходимостей или обр езаний и дает результ ат, который хорошо сог ласуется c предсказан иями квантовой элект родинамики. дает результат, котор ый хорошо согласуетс я c предсказаниями ква нтовой электродинам ики. предсказаниями кван товой электродинами ки.

Foundations of Physics, 2001

We discuss the main results of Linear Stochastic Electrodynamics, starting from a reformulation o... more We discuss the main results of Linear Stochastic Electrodynamics, starting from a reformulation of its basic assumptions. This theory shares with Stochastic Electrodynamics the core assumption that quantization comes about from the permanent interaction between matter and the vacuum radiation field, but it departs from it when it comes to considering the effect that this interaction has on the statistical properties of the nearby field. In the transition to the quantum regime, correlations between field modes of well-defined characteristic frequencies arise, which coincide with the transition frequencies of quantum mechanics and are therefore directly related with the energy quantization. The Heisenberg equations of motion of (non-relativistic) quantum electrodynamics are thus obtained. After a detailed consideration of the significance of the approximations made, we present a discussion on some of the most delicate or controversial features of quantum mechanics from the perspective...

Foundations of Physics Letters, Dec 1, 1997

An electromagnetic Mach principle is introduced, considering the zero-point radiation field as be... more An electromagnetic Mach principle is introduced, considering the zero-point radiation field as being produced by all visible matter in the universe, and at the same time being responsible for the quantum fluctuations of matter. An order-of-magnitude estimate allows thus to derive a relation between Planck's constant (as a measure of the strength of the field fluctuations) and cosmological constants, which is well satisfied by the accepted values of the intervening quantities.

New Developments on Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics, 1997

There is a growing interest in the investigation about the time required by particles to tunnel a... more There is a growing interest in the investigation about the time required by particles to tunnel accross potential barriers, due both to important technological advances on the subject and to concerns of a conceptual nature. The fact that the various proposed versions of tunneling times are mutually inconsistent and give widely different outcomes, reveals that there is still much to be learned from such an apparently simple problem.

Journal of Mathematical Physics, 1977

From the equation of motion for a radiating charged particle embedded in the zero-point radiation... more From the equation of motion for a radiating charged particle embedded in the zero-point radiation field we construct a stochastic Liouville equation which serves to derive, by a smoothing process, a Fokker–Planck-type equation with infinite memory. We show that an exact alternative form of this phase-space equation is the Schrödinger equation in configuration space, with radiative corrections. In the asymptotic, radiationless limit (when the radiative corrections became negligible), the phase-space density reduces to Wigner’s distribution, thus confirming Weyl’s rule of correspondence. We briefly discuss several other implications of stochastic electrodynamics which are relevant for quantum theory in general.

Foundations of Physics, 2010

This paper deals with an (otherwise classical) two-(non-interacting) particle system immersed in ... more This paper deals with an (otherwise classical) two-(non-interacting) particle system immersed in a common stochastic zero-point radiation field. The treatment is an extension of the one-particle case for which it has been shown that the quantum properties of the particle emerge from its interaction with the background field under stationary and ergodic conditions. In the present case we show that non-classical correlations-describable only in terms of entanglement-arise between the (nearby) particles whenever both of them resonate to a common frequency of the field. For identical particles the entanglement becomes maximum and must be described by totally (anti)symmetric states.

Foundations of Physics, 1978

The connection between stochastic electrodynamics (SED) and the quantum theory of matter is furth... more The connection between stochastic electrodynamics (SED) and the quantum theory of matter is further explored. The main result is that the Fokker-Planck-like equation of SED can be recast into the form of a Schrödinger equation with radiative corrections, when the system is close to a state of equilibrium. The phase-space distribution can be written as Wigner's pseudo-distribution plus corrections due to the nonlinearity of the external force and to radiative effects. The radiative corrections predicted by the theory, namely the Lamb shift and the decay of excited atomic states, coincide with those predicted by QED. Moreover, the theory offers a clear physical interpretation of these phenomena as due to the coupling of the electric dipole of the system with the zero-point radiation field and to radiation reaction, respectively.

Foundations of Physics, 1982

Arguments are given in favor of a stochastic theory of quantum mechanics, clearly distinguishable... more Arguments are given in favor of a stochastic theory of quantum mechanics, clearly distinguishable from Brownian motion theory. A brief exposition of the phenomenological theory of stochastic quantum mechanics is presented, followed by a list of its main results and perspectives. A possible answer to the question about the origin of stochasticity is given in stochastic electrodynamics by assigning a

Foundations of Physics, 1994

The stationary solutions for a bound electron immersed in the random zeropoint radiation field of... more The stationary solutions for a bound electron immersed in the random zeropoint radiation field of stochastic electrodynamics are studied, under the assumption that the characteristic Fourier frequencies of these solutions are not random. Under this assumption, the response of the particle to the field is linear and does not mix frequencies, irrespectively of the form of the binding force; the fluctuations of the random field fix the scale of the response. The effective radiation field that supports the stationary states of motion is no longer the free vacuum field, but a modified form of it with new statistical properties. The theory is expressed naturally in terms of matrices (or operators), and it leads to the Heisenberg equations and the Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics in the radiationless approximation. The connection with the poissonian formulation of stochastic electrodynamics is also established. At the end we briefly discuss a few important aspects of quantum mechanics which the present theory helps to clarify.

AIP Conference Proceedings, 2002

During the last decades there has been a relatively extensive attempt to develop the theory of st... more During the last decades there has been a relatively extensive attempt to develop the theory of stochastic electrodynamics (sed) with a view to establishing it as the foundation for quantum mechanics. The theory had several important successes, but failed when applied to the study of particles subject to nonlinear forces. An analysis of the failure showed that its reasons are not to be ascribed to the principles of sed, but to the methods used to construct the theory, particularly the use of a Fokker-Planck approximation and perturbation theory. A new, non perturbative approach has been developed, called linear stochastic electrodynamics (lsed), of which a clean form is presented here. After introducing the fundamentals of sed, we discuss in detail the principles on which lsed is constructed. We pay attention to the fundamental issue of the mechanism that leads to the quantum behaviour of field and matter, and demonstrate that indeed lsed is a natural way to the quantum formalism by demanding its solutions to comply with a limited number of principles, each one with a clear physical meaning. As a further application of the principles of lsed we derive also the Planck distribution. In a final section we revisit some of the most tantalizing quandaries of quantum mechanics from the point of view offered by the present theory, and show that it offers a clear physical answer to them.

Current Sociology, 2013

The current competition regime that characterizes international science is often presented as a q... more The current competition regime that characterizes international science is often presented as a quest for excellence. It diversely affects research in Latin America and research in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This article asks how this competition regime may orient the direction of research in Latin America, and to whose advantage. It is argued that, by relating excellence to quality differently, a research policy that seeks to improve the level of science in Latin America while preserving the possibility of solving problems relevant to the region can be designed. Competition, it is also argued, certainly has its place in science, but not as a general management tool, especially if the goal is to improve overall quality of science in Latin America. Scientific competition is largely managed through journals and their reputation. Therefore, designing a science policy for Latin America (and for any ‘peripheral’ region of the world) requi...

arXiv: Quantum Physics, 2018

We propose that the stability of the two projections of the electron spin along the direction of ... more We propose that the stability of the two projections of the electron spin along the direction of an applied magnetic field, is an effect of high-frequency vibrations acting on the spin magnetic moment. The source of the high-frequency vibrations is to be found in the zero-point radiation field.

European Journal of Physics, 2021

We present a simple algebraic procedure that can be applied to solve a range of quantum eigenvalu... more We present a simple algebraic procedure that can be applied to solve a range of quantum eigenvalue problems without the need to know the solution of the Schrödinger equation. The procedure, presented with a pedagogical purpose, is based on algebraic consistency conditions that must be satisfied by the eigenvalues of a couple of operators proper of the problem. These operators can be either bilinear forms of the raising and lowering operators appropriate to the problem, or else auxiliary operators constructed by resorting to the factorization of the Hamiltonian. Different examples of important quantum-mechanical textbook problems are worked out to exhibit the clarity and simplicity of the algebraic procedure for determining the spectrum of eigenvalues without knowing the eigenfunctions. For this reason the material presented may be particularly useful for undergraduate students or young physicists.

Scholarly and Research Communication, 2012

Latindex has created a portal of portals (PPL) aimed at providing free and open organized access ... more Latindex has created a portal of portals (PPL) aimed at providing free and open organized access to the literature published in Ibero-American scholarly journals. A report on the initial experience with the PPL is presented, with a critical overview of the main features and shortcomings found in the harvesting process. Our findings raise the need for additional information sources in Ibero-America and for the portals to adopt and adhere to technical and editorial standards. Further, the coverage of journals by different systems providing quality indicators is analyzed, based on case studies of journals produced in two countries with different degrees of development. This analysis highlights the relevant role that PPL can play in support of Ibero-American journals and as a tool in evaluation processes.

Physical Review A, 1988

The radiative energy shifts produced by environmental modifications of the electromagnetic vacuum... more The radiative energy shifts produced by environmental modifications of the electromagnetic vacuum are studied from the point of view of stochastic electrodynamics. The vacuum can be modified by the addition of external radiation or by the introduction of conducting objects that alter the distribution of modes. The general formulas obtained are applied to some simple but representative situations. The present results are shown to coincide with previous quantum calculations, and some conceptual differences between the two approaches are discussed.

Physical Review A, 1989

In a recent paper, Peacock-López, West, and Lindenberg [Phys. Rev. A 37, 3530 (1988)], starting f... more In a recent paper, Peacock-López, West, and Lindenberg [Phys. Rev. A 37, 3530 (1988)], starting from a formal path-integral expression, show that the differences between effective Fokker-Planck equations arise as a consequence of different approximations. In this Comment we show that a closed formula for the effective diffusion coefficient may be used to derive the different approximate expressions.