Nov 1, 2014 05:19 AM
http://www.fqxi.org/community/articles/display/195
EXCERPT: As humans, we’re often told to celebrate our individuality and the unique features that distinguish us from each other. But what about elementary particles? Is one electron pretty much the same as the next? It may seem like a frivolous question, but the answer has profound consequences for the foundations of quantum theory. When carrying out quantum calculations, physicists must assume that electrons are identical and indistinguishable, and they formalize this using a rule called the symmetrization postulate. So far, experiments seem to back this procedure. But Philip Goyal, a physicist at the University of Albany, New York, wants to know if the rule is just a mathematical trick needed to get the sums to work, or if it is a true feature of reality. What he discovers could have implications for the existence of unexpected new elementary particles....
EXCERPT: As humans, we’re often told to celebrate our individuality and the unique features that distinguish us from each other. But what about elementary particles? Is one electron pretty much the same as the next? It may seem like a frivolous question, but the answer has profound consequences for the foundations of quantum theory. When carrying out quantum calculations, physicists must assume that electrons are identical and indistinguishable, and they formalize this using a rule called the symmetrization postulate. So far, experiments seem to back this procedure. But Philip Goyal, a physicist at the University of Albany, New York, wants to know if the rule is just a mathematical trick needed to get the sums to work, or if it is a true feature of reality. What he discovers could have implications for the existence of unexpected new elementary particles....