Speaker
Description
Bohm's interpretation of Quantum Mechanics presents similarities and analogies with other previous models, of which it represents an evolution. A direct comparison between the various models allows us to better understand the meaning of Bohm's formulation and demonstrates the importance of interpretation in understanding physical theories characterized by the same mathematical formalism. The starting point can be identified with the hydrodynamic model of E. Madelung, published in 1927. According to this model, the Schrödinger equation describes an ideal, viscous "fluid" composed of identical particles (electrons) of mass m and electric charge -e. In 1928 Earle H. Kennard proposed a purely quantum interpretation of the same equations obtained by Madelung, introducing the concept of quantum potential, which will also be used by David Bohm. De Broglie pilot-wave theory takes up the formalism common to previous formulations, but offers a still different interpretation. The realist interpretation of the particle and the wave that drives it through the de Broglie guiding condition is the defining feature of his theory. Bohm's work bears strong similarities to that of de Broglie, from which it is explicitly derived. The innovative idea introduced by Bohm consists in assigning to the particle an initial position r_o (hidden variable) and a velocity v = ∇ S/m, so that the particle's trajectory would be uniquely defined, if only the initial position could be known. On Louis de Broglie‘s use of unified field theory in his quest for causality and realism in quantum physics.
