What is Heisenberg: Definition and 308 Discussions

Werner Karl Heisenberg (; German pronunciation: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhaɪzn̩ˌbɛɐ̯k] (listen); 5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976) was a German theoretical physicist and one of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He published his work in 1925 in a breakthrough paper. In the subsequent series of papers with Max Born and Pascual Jordan, during the same year, this matrix formulation of quantum mechanics was substantially elaborated. He is known for the uncertainty principle, which he published in 1927. Heisenberg was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the creation of quantum mechanics".Heisenberg also made important contributions to the theories of the hydrodynamics of turbulent flows, the atomic nucleus, ferromagnetism, cosmic rays, and subatomic particles. He was a principal scientist in the German nuclear weapons program during World War II. He was also instrumental in planning the first West German nuclear reactor at Karlsruhe, together with a research reactor in Munich, in 1957.
Following World War II, he was appointed director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics, which soon thereafter was renamed the Max Planck Institute for Physics. He was director of the institute until it was moved to Munich in 1958. He then became director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics from 1960 to 1970.
Heisenberg was also president of the German Research Council, chairman of the Commission for Atomic Physics, chairman of the Nuclear Physics Working Group, and president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

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  1. Z

    What is Heisenberg Uncertainty Formula?

    What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Formula? Here: http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rgowdy/mod/122/xmp4.htm It is quoted as Δx(Δmv) ~ h/2∏ which is ΔxΔp ~ (h-bar) Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle It is quoted as ΔxΔp ~ (h-bar)/2
  2. S

    Prove Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle for Ground State Harmonic Oscillator

    Ground State Wave Equation: ψ0=(a/∏)(1/4)e(-ax2/2) Prove the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle ≥h(bar)/2 by way of expectation values. First I found <x>=0 because it was an odd function then I found <Px>=0 because it was an odd function Then <x2>=∫(a/∏)(1/2)x2e(-ax2)/2dx=1/2a by way of...
  3. Q

    Fortran Fortran code for spins in heisenberg hamiltonian

    hi friends. i don't know how can i write a fortran code for expressing spins in Heisenberg model which have 3 dimension spin operator, sx,sy,sz? thanks for your help
  4. M

    Explaining the Inclusion of Minus Sine in the Heisenberg Hamiltonian Definition

    Why is minus sine in definition of hamiltonian H=-\sum_{i,j}J_{i,j}(S_{i}^+S_{j}^-+S_i^zS_j^z) Why not? H=\sum_{i,j}J_{i,j}(S_{i}^+S_{j}^-+S_i^zS_j^z)
  5. A

    Timelike Curves leads to violation of heisenberg uncertainty Relation

    General Relatitivity predicts Timelike curves and there are nonlinear extensions of mechanics which resolve the paradoxical aspects of CTC's *i.e. Time Travel, on the other hand Hawking proposed a conjeture to rule out CTCs, the Chronology Protection Conjecture* there are a class of Timelike...
  6. G

    Heisenberg, genius and idiot at the same time

    I knew that Heisenberg did not emigrate when the Nazis took power, but I was shocked to learn that he tried to help the Nazis get the atom bomb. This is textbook irrationality. Here's one example of irrational behavior. 1. You want A 2. B prevents the acquisition of A 3. You do B 4...
  7. K

    Schrödinger and Heisenberg picture

    Im sorry, I accidently edited my opening post instead of posting a new one.. The question was regarding the statement that the state ket is stationary in the Heisenberg picture when the basis kets are transforming in time. Because the state ket is a superposition of the base kets it should the...
  8. C

    Kinetic Energy and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    Homework Statement This is not a problem as such. Just a derivation for which I've been given a solution which I cannot seem to find. Homework Equations Ke = 1/2 mv2 = ρ2/2m hbar << 2ΔxΔp Δp≈p as the average magnitude of p is small. The Attempt at a Solution p >> hbar/2Δx p2...
  9. D

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle - find minimum uncertainty in position

    Homework Statement Assume speed of 435g football is known with 1mm/s uncertainty. What is the minimum uncertainty in its position? Homework Equations I'm not quite sure... I know p=mv, and I know that Heisenberg's uncertainty principle states that certain parameters of quantum...
  10. D

    Why is heisenberg uncertainty not a limit of technology?

    How do we know that the uncertainty principle is a property of an electron and not a limit of our measuring ability? I understand that photons striking an electron alter its momentum, but imagine an electron that is not being observed. Couldn't it have both a position and a momentum at a given...
  11. B

    The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    The general definition is that we cannot determine the location and velocity of a particle at any given moment. However, my intuition is to assume this is due to shortcomings in technology and measurement, but apparently that's false. This is a rule of nature. Can you explain what exactly the...
  12. zonde

    Heisenberg Picture: Popularity & Photon Double-Slit Treatment

    I would like to find out how popular is Heisenberg picture. Is there someone who finds Heisenberg picture useful? And as well - are there any ideas how photon double-slit should be treated in Heisenberg picture?
  13. J

    Heisenberg ferromagnet and spin waves

    Hey Given an anisotropic hamiltonian \mathcal{H} = -\sum_{j,\rho} \left( J_\rho^z s_j^z s_{j+\rho}^z + \frac{J_\rho^{xy}}{2}\left( s_j^+ s_{j+\rho}^- + s_j^- s_{j+\rho}^+ \right)\right) - g\mu_B H\sum_j s_j^z Here \rho is a vector connecting the neighbouring sites. How do I show that the...
  14. M

    How did Heisenberg derive his famous principle?

    Where How did he come up with that?
  15. Q

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle or Diffraction problem

    Homework Statement The figure shows 1.0*10^-6 m diameter dust particles in a vacuum chamber. The dust particles are released from rest above a 1.0*10^-6 m diameter hole, fall through the hole (there's just barely room for the particles to go through), and land on a detector at distance d...
  16. maverick_starstrider

    COMPLETE Derivation of Heisenberg and Hubbard Models?

    Does anyone know of a COMPLETE derivation of the Hubbard Model and then the Heisenberg model from it. What I mean by complete is pedagogical including all (or at least most) steps. Books like Assa Auerbach's and Altland and Simons are worthless for these kind of things (in fact IMHO those...
  17. StevieTNZ

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    From what I've gathered reading the scientific literature, the more precise we know a quantum system's position, the more uncertain the momentum becomes. Does the uncertainty principle place a limit on how well we can know a system's position when we measure that observable? I've read...
  18. M

    Heisenberg Uncertainty principle in 3D

    Hi there, So here's my assignment: ''The velocity of a positron is measured to be: vx=(4.00±0.18)*105 m/s, vy=(0.34±0.12)*105 m/s, vz=(1.41±0.08)*105 m/s. Within what minimum volume was the positron located at the moment the measurement was carried out?'' I think I'm not wrong when I say that...
  19. S

    Linear Algebra Theory Question - Heisenberg Group

    Homework Statement Let H be the set of all matrices with entries that are integers, with 1s on the main diagonal, and 0s below it. A = [1 a b; 0 1 c; 0 0 1] Now, if a set of matrices G contains the identity matrix, contains the inverse matrix of every matrix in G, and is closed under...
  20. I

    Arbikosov vortex and Heisenberg

    Hello, I'm studying superconductors and I began to wonder about Abrikosov vortices. They possesses a precise quantum flux (h/e), and are also localized in space enough to be exactly pin-pointed by experimental techniques. As it is some kind of a quantum object, shouldn't these vortex properties...
  21. I

    Computing Heisenberg Uncertainty Value

    Homework Statement Consider a particle in a one dimensional box of length L, whose potential energy is V(x)=0 for 0<x<L, and infinite otherwise.Given the wave function at ground state ψ=sqrt(2/L)sin (pi*x/L) Compute ΔxΔp where Homework Equations Δx=sqrt(<x^2>-<x>^2) and...
  22. N

    Is this physicist a fraud? Worked under Pauli and Heisenberg, etc

    I don't want to name him explicitly, in fear of blemishing his name in case he is not a fraud. Just google (including the ""-symbols) and the relevant wikipedia page should be the first hit. Apparently the scientist first went to a group established in 1975, and afterwards he went to work...
  23. P

    Heisenberg indeterminacy principle

    No object can travel faster than the speed of light, so it would appear evident that the uncertainty in the speed of any object is at most 3 * 10^8 m s (a) What is the minimum uncertainty in the position of an electron, given that we know nothing about its speed except that it is slower...
  24. C

    How to use Heisenberg Uncertainty Equation/Principle?

    I'm working on a few problems involving the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and I'm a little confused as to how the equation works and what to plug into the equation. The equation I'm using is: (delta(x)*m*delta(v) = h/(4pi). In one of the problems I'm working on, I'm given the mass of a...
  25. D

    A thought on Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    Let me first start off by saying that I am somewhat new to physics and it's understanding. But I was looking over the Hiesenberg Uncertainty Princple and a thought occurred to me. The Heisenberg Unvertainty Principle states "More precisely the position is determined, the less precise the...
  26. B

    Question about the Heisenberg Picture

    Homework Statement I've seen this example for using the Heisenberg equation of motion to solve the Simple Hamonic Oscillator. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisenberg_picture#Commutator_relations" However, if you were only interested in one variable, let's say position, on how the the...
  27. V

    Is Heisenberg uncertainty principle a problem of our measuring techniques?

    Hello I know this topic must have been done to death already, but i can't seem to find a satisfying answer. As the title suggests, my question is, what experiment proves that the uncertainty principle is not just a result of our flawed measuring techniques? From what i understand, when we...
  28. J

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    Homework Statement An electron is confined within a region of atomic dimensions on the order to 10-10 m. Compute the uncertainty in its momentum. Homework Equations N/A The Attempt at a Solution I know this problem involves a simple application of Heisenberg's uncertainty...
  29. R

    Trying to understand Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in a physical sense

    I'm trying to understand the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, as it relates to experimental measurements, because it's kind of confusing me. We just learned the derivations for it in my QM class -- basically it's two standard deviations multiplied together (corresponding to measurements of...
  30. R

    Fock space versus Heisenberg Algebra

    Hello everyone. I was kind of "working on a project" when I stumbled onto something, which I can't get if it's wrong or just shallow; it must be wrong, because I haven't seen it anywhere and it seems a quite general statement. Suppose we are given a bosonic Fock space H generated in the usual...
  31. J

    The Heisenberg Uncertainty of Bowling Balls

    I was recently thinking about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle which states that we can not know a subatomic particle's position and momentum at any instant. We can know one or the other measure but not both at the same time. The more we know about one, the less we know about the other...
  32. E

    Statistical Mechanics: classical Heisenberg Model

    Homework Statement You have a latice of particles that all have spin 1, but they can change the direction of their spin so constraint \left|S_j\right|=1. There is only interaction with the closest neighbours so we have the following hamiltonian: H = -J \sum_{\left\langle ij \right\rangle}...
  33. N

    Heisenberg picture describes emission, Schroedinger picture does not

    Am I right in thinking that the Heisenberg matrix interpretation describes emission, while the Schroedinger interpretation does not?
  34. N

    Heisenberg uncertainity principle

    i am not getting the interconnection between probability wave function of particle with particle's momentum,can anyone help? i don't want any mathematical equations,any theoretical explanation would suffice
  35. stevmg

    Explaining the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and Electron Orbits

    It is stated that electrons orbit the nuclei of atoms not as particles. By the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (whatever that is) one cannot pinpoint their actual location and one cannot track the motion of an electron as it orbits the nucleus. What is that all about? Please use 10th...
  36. A

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Meaning

    I am new, and I don't have a physics background, so please excuse the question if it is incredibly easy... Does the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle mean that we just can't measure the location of an electron to perfect accuracy, but such a location does exit (we just can't know what it is)...
  37. H

    How do you explain the Heisenberg uncertainty principle?

    So to determine the position of an object you can scatter light off of it. Fine. But then my textbook says you can't know the exact position of the object because of diffraction effects. We've covered the diffraction of light through narrow slits but I don't know why if you were scattering light...
  38. D

    Heisenberg Uncertainy Principle

    Homework Statement Modern electron microscopes used in biological research emit a beam of electrons with a velocity of 1.5x108 m/s a. What is the wavelength of an electron in the beam? b. The wavelength of the particle determines the resolution of the microscopy. Assume that you desire a...
  39. S

    Solving Heisenberg Hamiltonian for 1/2-Spin Systems

    I have various 1/2-spin systems and I should find energetic spectra (eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian matrix). Hamiltonian I use is in the form: H=JSiSj+t(c+ic-j+c+jc-i) The first part is interaction between two spins, so sum over every spin-pair, the second part is interaction between spin...
  40. R

    Relativity and the Heisenberg Ontology

    Is it true that "The dogmas of relativity theory cannot be expected to apply to the consideration of the dynamical process by which reality actually unfolds."?? What does it mean? Physicist Stapp was describing about the Heisenberg ontology and it's possible relativity problem:
  41. R

    Heisenberg Interpretation vs Objective Collapse

    　 We know Copenhagen settles for computational rules connecting human observations rather than striving to comprehend the nature of the underlying reality. Heisenberg eventually did try to form a coherence picture of what is actually happening. But how come this Heisenberg Interpretation is not...
  42. K

    Heisenberg uncertainty principle in R^n

    Homework Statement \phi(x) is in Schwartz space, and {\int|\phi(x)|^2dx=1. I need to show that (\int_{R^n}|x|^2|\phi(x)|^2dx)(\int_{R^n}|\xi|^2|\phi(\xi)|^2d\xi)\geq \dfrac{n^2}{16\pi^2}Homework Equations Heisenberg uncertainty in one dimension...
  43. N

    How do Heisenberg Uncertainty & de Broglie wavelength apply to atom trap?

    I had this https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=3200140#post3200140", which I posted on PF. I got the answer, but then I started thinking more about it and have some theoretical questions. If you did have this particle of mass m in a box of length L, which you are trying to stop...
  44. P

    Definition of Heisenberg Hamiltonian

    I have a question. What is the definition of Heisenberg hamiltonian? \hat{H}=-\sum_{i,j}J_{i,j}\hat{\bfs{S}}_i\cdot \hat{\bfs{S}}_j or \hat{H}=-2\sum_{i,j}J_{i,j}\hat{\bfs{S}}_i\cdot \hat{\bfs{S}}_j or \hat{H}=\sum_{i,j}J_{i,j}\hat{\bfs{S}}_i\cdot \hat{\bfs{S}}_j or...
  45. E

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle homework

    Well first off, I am confused about what the book says earlier and what the actual answers are in the back of the book on homework problems. I thought I understood the book, but it seems like I don't. The book has: "Consider a particle whose location is known within a width of L along the x...
  46. L

    Heisenberg photons and particle velocity measurement

    Hi, [c=speed of light] if a particle travels at a velocity x/t and momentum p, such that (c-x/t) < (delta-x)*(delta-p) (ie the Heisenberg limit), how could one tell whether what one was looking at was a photon traveling at speed c or a particle traveling indeterminately CLOSE to c? also...
  47. pellman

    Time independent operators and Heisenberg eq - paradox?

    Suppose we have time-dependent operator a(t) with the equal-time commutator [a(t),a^{\dag}(t)]=1 and in particular [a(0),a^{\dag}(0)]=1 with Hamiltonian H=\hbar \omega(a^\dag a+1/2) The Heisenberg equation of motion \frac{da}{dt}=\frac{i}{\hbar}[H,a]=-i\omega a implies...
  48. E

    Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

    Homework Statement A beam of 50eV electrons travel towards a slit of width 6 micro metres. The diffraction pattern is observed on a screen 2m away. Use the angular spread of the central diffraction pattern (+/- lambda / slit width) to estimate the uncertainty in the y-component of momentum...
  49. C

    Find Density of States with Heisenberg Model

    Homework Statement Find density of states H = \frac{-JzM}{g\mu_B} \sum_i S_i^z + \frac{JzNM^2}{2g^2\mu_b^2} = -\alpha \sum_i S_i^z + \gamma[/itex] z = # nearest neighbors J = exchange M = magnetization S^z = project of total spin S=0,1. Homework Equations Z=\sum_{S m_s} <S m_s| \exp(-\beta...
  50. J

    Heisenberg uncertainty principle derivation and canonically conjugate vairables?

    Hi, I've just worked through a derivation of the H.U.P. that uses the Cauchy Schwarz inequality to come up with the expression (\Delta A)^2(\Delta B)^2 \geq \frac{1}{4}|<[A,B]>|^2 . This much I am happy with, but then it seems that when dealing with two "canonically conjugate observables" you...
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