Did de Broglie contribute later to pilot wave theory?

In summary, de Broglie reintroduced the pilot wave theory in his later years and it was developed further by Bohm.
  • #1
Minnesota Joe
Gold Member
130
52
TL;DR Summary
Did de Broglie make any contributions after taking up pilot wave theory again?
If I recall correctly it was in Adam Becker's book "What is Real?" where I read that late in life de Broglie took up again the pilot wave theory that he had introduced at Solvay in 1927 and that Bohm had done so much work on in the interim.

Did de Broglie make any contributions to pilot wave theory late in life? I have in mind published papers or influential articles.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Googling a little I found an interesting 1967 interview where de Broglie talks about returning to a causal picture: "As of today, my thoughts lead me to affirm that it would be quite advantageous to go back to much precise pictures because I think that science is always about creating causality links between phenomena and I think that this research of causality will always be extremely productive for science."

 
  • Like
Likes Quanundrum
  • #3
  • Like
Likes Minnesota Joe and Demystifier
  • #4
  • #5
Fortunately there are several textbooks he wrote in French that have been translated to English. One is a general textbook that isn't oriented towards specialists. Others that I know about and have copies are:

Nonlinear Wave Mechanics - Elsevier - 1960 - 304 pages
Introduction to the Vigier Theory of Elementary Particles - Elsevier - 1963 - 138 pages
The Current Interpretation of Wave Mechanics: A Critical Study - Elsevier - 1964 - 94 pages

Of critical relevance to much in QM, in 1934 de Broglie demonstrated that the Dirac Equation exhibits a "shocking failure of symmetry" when applied to the hydrogen atom. He attempted to resolve the situation but could not find a way to do so. (L'electron magnetique, Hermann, Paris, 1934, page 138)
 
  • Like
Likes Minnesota Joe
  • #6
P.S. This paper by Claude Daviau and Jacques Bertrand shows how influential de Broglie continued to be and how his discoveries continue to be developed in ways that bring rather important principles into the foreground.

https://file.scirp.org/pdf/JMP_2015112314063920.pdf
 
  • Like
Likes Minnesota Joe

1. Did de Broglie contribute to the development of pilot wave theory?

Yes, de Broglie was one of the pioneers of pilot wave theory. He first proposed the idea in his 1927 doctoral thesis, and continued to work on it throughout his career.

2. What is pilot wave theory?

Pilot wave theory is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that proposes the existence of a guiding wave that determines the behavior of particles. This theory was first introduced by de Broglie and has been further developed by other scientists.

3. How does pilot wave theory differ from other interpretations of quantum mechanics?

Pilot wave theory differs from other interpretations, such as the Copenhagen interpretation, in that it does not involve the collapse of the wave function. Instead, the wave function evolves deterministically, with the particles being guided by the pilot wave.

4. What contributions did de Broglie make to pilot wave theory?

De Broglie made significant contributions to pilot wave theory, including the initial proposal of the idea and further developments in understanding the behavior of particles in this framework. He also collaborated with other scientists to refine and expand upon the theory.

5. Is pilot wave theory widely accepted in the scientific community?

Pilot wave theory is still a topic of debate in the scientific community. While it has gained some support from physicists, it is not as widely accepted as other interpretations of quantum mechanics. Further research and experimentation are needed to fully understand the implications of this theory.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
14
Views
4K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
23
Views
2K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
11
Replies
376
Views
10K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
28
Views
3K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
5
Views
1K
Back
Top