The discussion centers on the concept of fields in quantum mechanics, particularly how they differ from classical fields. Participants explore the idea of electrons as excitation states of fields, the nature of these fields, and whether there is a distinct field for each fundamental particle or if a unified field theory is possible.
Participants express differing views on whether a single unified field can exist for all fundamental particles, with some supporting the idea of separate fields while others are intrigued by the concept of a unified theory.
Limitations in the discussion include assumptions about the definitions of fields and the mathematical steps involved in quantization that remain unresolved.
This discussion may be of interest to those studying quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, or theoretical physics, particularly in relation to the nature of fundamental particles and fields.
You have to study quantum field theory.gk007 said:What is a field in quantum mechanics
One needs a field for each particle, e.g. one field for the photon (4-potential), one for the electron and the positron, one for the quarks (the different colors are treated via indices, so the field becomes a 4-spinor with an additional color-index i=1..3), one for the gluon (4-potential now with a color index a=1..8) etc.gk007 said:Also, is there a different type of field for each fundamental particle, or can it be simplified to one big field?