Theoretical Physics in the Twentieth Century: a Memorial Volume to Wolfgang Pauli

338 Pages·1960·33.306 MB·English

by  M. Fierz, V. F. Weisskopf (eds.)

THEORETICAL PHYSICS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
A Memorial Volume to Wolfgang Pauli

THEORETICAL PHYSICS
IN THE
TWENTIETH CENTURY
A Memorial Volume to Wolfgang Pauli
Edited by
M. FIERZ
Ziirich, Switzerland
and
V. F. WEISSKOPF
Cambridge, U.S.A.
INTERSCIENCE PUBLISHERS INC., NEW YORK
Interscience Publishers Ltd., London bWIAe ll
First published 1960
All Rights Reserved
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG
CARD NUMBER 60-15886
Interscience Publishers Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N.Y.
For Great Britain and Northern Ireland : Interscience Publishers Ltd.,
88-90 Chancery Lane, London, W.C.2
Made and printed in Great Britain by
William Clowes and Sons, Limited, London and Beccles
AUTHORS
V. BARGMANN
Department of Mathematical Physics, University of Princeton,
New Jersey
Nieis Bour, For.Mem.R.S.
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen
H. B. G. Casrmir
Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken, Research Laboratory, Kindhoven
C. P. Enz
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey
M. Frerz
Hidgenéssische Technische Hochschule, Ziirich
W. HEIsenserc, For.Mem.R.S.
Max-Planck-Institut fiir Physik und Astrophysik, Miinchen 23
R. Jost
Hidgendssische Technische Hochschule, Ziirich
R. KRonie
Technological University of Delft
L. D. Lanpav, For.Mem.R.8.
Institute for Physical Problems, Academy of Sciences, Moscow
R. E. Prererzs, F.R.S.
Department of Mathematical Physics, University of Birming-
ham.
B. L. VAN DER WAERDEN
Mathematisches Institut der Universitat, Ziirich
F. VitLars
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, U.S.A.
Vv
aval AUTHORS
G. WENTZEL
The Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies, University of
Chicago
C.S8. Wu
Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York
PREFACE
Several years ago, when Pauli was still with us, a volume was
planned to celebrate his 60th birthday on 25th April, 1960.
Contrary to the usual practice of soliciting original papers from
most of his pupils and friends, we had planned to collect a series
of articles by some of his close collaborators describing and
reviewing the present status of all the fields in physics to which
Pauli has contributed. Soon we discovered that this was a
formidable task, for there is practically no field in physics on
which Pauli’s ideas have not left a significant imprint. The
literal realization of our plan would have been equivalent to
writing a complete Handbook of modern physics. We were
consequently obliged to reduce our aims and restrict ourselves
to consideration of two particular kinds of articles. The first
represents an attempt to summarize briefly the progress made
in some of the topics in physics which were closest to Pauli’s
interests, and the others are reports on the heroic period of physics
during the 1930’s, when Pauli’s own work and constant critical
vigilance were decisive in the conception of the basic ideas of
quantum mechanics.
Pauli’s untimely death occurred during the preparation of this
collection, and the birthday volume became a memorial volume.
The inadequacy of our plan was painfully apparent against the
background of this new obligation. No collection of articles could
do justice to the memory of Pauli’s work and his impact on modern
physics. His memory lives among all physicists. Only further
progress in physics carried out in his spirit can ever serve as a true
memorial.
This volume was first initiated by Dr. Paul Rosbaud, a close
friend of Pauli’s, and we present it as a modest testimony to the
debt which the world of Physics owes to Wolfgang Pauli.
M.F.
V.E.W.
Vii

CONTENTS
Authors
Preface . Vil
Foreword
By Niels Bohr
The Turning Point
By BR. Kromg
Erinnerungen an die Zeit der Entwicklung der Quanten-
mechanik
By W. Heisenberg 40
Quantum Theory of Fields (until 1947)
— By G. Wenizel , , 48
Regularization and Non-Singular Interactions in Quantum
Field Theory
By F. Villars. 78
Das Pauli-Prinzip und die Lorenta- Gruppe
By BR. Jost . 107
Pauli and the Theory of the Solid State
137
By H. B. G. Casimir ,
Quantum Theory of Solids
By R. H. Peverls 140
Statistische Mechanik
By M. Fierz . 161
Relativity
By V. Bargmann 187
Exclusion Principle and Spin
By B. L. van der Waerden 199
]* ix
p.¢ CONTENTS
Fundamental Problems
By L. D. Landau . 24.5
The Neutrino
By CS. Wu . 249
Bibliography
By C. P. Enz. 304
Author Index 313
Subject Index
320