Contrasting interactions between dipole oscillators in classical and quantum theories: illustrations of unretarded van der Waals forces

DOI10.1088/1361-6404/AAADF5MaRDI QIDQ4683465zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Timothy H. Boyer

Publication date 21 September 2018

Published in European Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03542

zbMATH Keywords

classical zero-point radiationharmonic oscillatorsthermal equilibriumunretarded van der Waals forces

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Stability for problems in linear vibration theory (70J25) Waves and radiation in optics and electromagnetic theory (78A40) Antennas, waveguides in optics and electromagnetic theory (78A50) Classical and relativistic thermodynamics (80A10) Molecular physics (81V55) Quantum equilibrium statistical mechanics (general) (82B10) Statistical thermodynamics (82B30) Statistical mechanics of gases (82D05)

Abstract: Students encounter harmonic-oscillator models in many aspects of basic physics, within widely-varying theoretical contexts. Here we highlight the interconnections and varying points of view. We start with the classical mechanics of masses coupled by springs and trace how the same essential systems are reanalyzed in the unretarded van der Waals interactions between dipole oscillators within classical and quantum theories. We note how classical mechanical ideas from kinetic theory lead to energy equipartition which determines the high-temperature van der Waals forces of atoms and molecules modeled as dipole oscillators. In this case, colliding heat-bath particles can be regarded as providing local hidden variables for the statistical mechanical behavior of the oscillators. Next we note how relativistic classical electrodynamical ideas conflict with the assumptions of nonrelativistic classical statistical mechanics. Classical electrodynamics which includes classical zero-point radiation leads to van der Waals forces between dipole oscillators, and these classical forces agree at all temperatures with the forces derived from quantum theory. However, the classical theory providing this agreement is not a local theory, but rather a non-local hidden-variables theory. The classical theory can be regarded as involving hidden variables in the random phases of the plane waves spreading throughout space which provide the source-free random radiation.

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Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3206957 (Why is no real title available?)
• Statistical physics: a probabilistic approach
• Understanding zero-point energy in the context of classical electromagnetism

Cited in

(1)

• Note on the retarded Van der Waals potential within the dipole approximation

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