Doctoral Dissertation Research - Symmetry in the Foundations of Quantum Theory

该奖项是授予博士学位论文研究改进基金。这位博士生正在他的导师PI的指导下进行一个项目，该项目的中心目标是概括物理学中关于时间可逆性的基本描述。国际和平协会请求支持联合国际与加州大学欧文分校的两名研究人员一起进行强化培训，这两名研究人员专门研究他的论文主题。申请的资金将用于支持2011年2月1日至3月6日在南加州进行为期五周的研究。智力价值申请的资金将为Co-Pi提供一个与其领域的顶级研究人员面对面工作的重要机会，因为他努力为时间反转的含义开发一个严格、统一的基础，这源于对称原则。尽管物理学界认识到某个定义的时间可逆性的重要含义，但很少有人注意到为什么选择这个定义而不是其他定义。该项目旨在填补这一空白。这次研究访问很可能会对合办的论文有实质性的改进。从长远来看，Co-Pi希望使用类似的方法(使用对称原理)来分析物理中的相关概念，如物理等价。潜在的更广泛的影响尽管这项工作对科学哲学家特别感兴趣，因为它试图阐明现代物理学基础中的一个核心概念，但它也将对关心时间可逆性的概念基础的物理学家感兴趣，时间可逆性被认为是物理学实践中的一个基本重要概念。联合国际计划在科学哲学会议、物理学会议上以及在这两个领域的同行评议期刊上发表文章来传播他的研究成果。这样做将有助于促进和加强跨学科互动。

IntroductionThis award is for a doctoral dissertation research improvement grant. The Co-PI, the doctoral candidate, is working under the supervision of his mentor, the PI, on a project whose central aim is to generalize a foundational account of time reversibility in physics. The PI has requested support for the Co-PI to engage in intensive training with two researchers at the University of California at Irvine who specialize in the topic of his dissertation. The requested funds will be used to support a five week research stay in Southern California, from February 1 - March 6, 2011.Intellectual MeritThe requested funds will provide the Co-PI with an important opportunity to work face to face with top researchers in his field as he strives to develop a rigorous, unified foundation for the meaning of time reversal, which stems from a symmetry principle. Although the physics community recognizes the important implications of a certain definition time reversibility, there is little attention paid as to why this definition is chosen and not some other. This project aims to fill that gap. Substantial improvements to the Co-PI's dissertation are likely to come about as a result of this research visit. In the longer term, the Co-PI expects to use a similar approach (using symmetry principles) to analyze related concepts in physics such as physical equivalence.Potential Broader ImpactsAlthough the work is of particular interest to philosophers of science, in that it seeks to explicate a central concept in the foundations of modern physics, it will also be of interest to physicists who are concerned with the conceptual basis for time reversibility, a concept considered of fundamental importance in the practice of physics. The Co-PI plans to disseminate the results of his research at philosophy of science conferences, at physics conferences, and through publications in peer-reviewed journals in both fields. Doing so will serve to contribute to and to enhance interdisciplinary interaction.