Identical Quantum Particles as Distinguishable Objects

Distinguishable-and Indistinguishable-particle Descriptions of Systems of Identical Particles

The problem of distinguishability of identical particles is considered from both experimental and theoretical points ofview. It is argued that distinguishability has to be defined relative to a definite set of experiments and that the criterion by which the particies are distinguished should be specified. Faiiure to do so may cause mismatching between theory and experiment. On the theoretical l...

Identical Distinguishable Gas Particles in the Real World

Identical Quantum Particles and Weak

We examine a recent argument that " identical " quantum particles with an anti-symmetric state (fermions) are weakly discernible objects, just like irreflexively related ordinary objects in situations with perfect symmetry (Black's spheres, for example). We conclude that the argument uses a silent premise that is not justified in the quantum case. 1 Individuality Objects are individuals. One mi...

Identical Particles and Quantum Symmetries

We propose a solution to the problem of compatibility of Bose-Fermi statistics with symmetry transformations implemented by compact quantum groups of Drinfel’d type. We use unitary transformations to conjugate multiparticle symmetry postulates, so as to obtain a twisted realization of the symmetric groups Sn. *A. v. Humboldt-fellow e-mail: Fiore, Schupp @ ls-wess.physik.uni-muenchen.de

Are quantum particles objects?

It is widely believed that particles in quantum mechanics are metaphysically strange; they are not individuals (the view of Cassirer 1956), in some sense of the term, and perhaps they are not even objects at all, a suspicion raised by Quine (1976a, 1990). In parallel it is thought that this difference, and especially the status of quantum particles as indistinguishable, accounts for the differe...