arXiv subjects

Jean-Pierre Hurni

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Pierre Hurni.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2009

The physical heritage of Sir W.R. Hamilton

150 years after the discovery of quaternions, Hamilton's conjecture that quaternions are a fundamental language for physics is reevaluated and shown to be essentially correct, provided one admits complex numbers in both classical and quantum physics, and accepts carrying along the intricacies of the relativistic formalism. Examples are shown in classical dynamics, electrodynamics, and quantum theory. Lanczos's, Einstein's, and Petiau's generalizations of Dirac's equation are shown to be very naturally formulated with biquaternions. The discussion of spin, isospin, and mass quantization is greatly facilitated. Compared with other formalisms, biquaternions have the advantage of giving compact but at the same time explicit formulas which are directly usable for algebraic or numerical calculations.

math-ph↗

arXiv2008

The origin of Iraq's nuclear weapons program: Technical reality and Western hypocrisy

This report is based on a series of papers written between 1980 and 2005 on the origin of Iraq's nuclear weapons program, which was known to one of the authors in the late 1970s already, as well as to a number of other physicists, who independently tried without success to inform their governments and the public. It is concluded that at no point did the Western governments effectively try to stop Iraq's nuclear weapons program, which suggests that its existence was useful as a foreign policy tool, as is confirmed by its use as a major justification to wage two wars on Iraq.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2008

Lanczos's equation to replace Dirac's equation ?

Lanczos's quaternionic interpretation of Dirac's equation provides a unified description for all elementary particles of spin 0, 1/2, 1, and 3/2. The Lagrangian formulation given by Einstein and Mayer in 1933 predicts two main classes of solutions. (1) Point like partons which come in two families, quarks and leptons. The correct fractional or integral electric and baryonic charges, and zero mass for the neutrino and the u-quark, are set by eigenvalue equations. The electro-weak interaction of the partons is the same as with the Standard model, with the same two free parameters: e and sin^2 theta. There is no need for a Higgs symmetry breaking mechanism. (2) Extended hadrons for which there is no simple eigenvalue equation for the mass. The strong interaction is essentially non-local. The pion mass and pion-nucleon coupling constant determine to first order the nucleon size, mass and anomalous magnetic moment.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Quaternions in mathematical physics (1): Alphabetical bibliography

This is part one of a series of four methodological papers on (bi)quaternions and their use in theoretical and mathematical physics: 1- Alphabetical bibliography, 2- Analytical bibliography, 3- Notations and terminology, and 4- Formulas and identities. This quaternion bibliography will be further updated and corrected if necessary by the authors, who welcome any comment and reference that is not contained within the list.

math-ph↗

arXiv2008

Quaternions in mathematical physics (2): Analytical bibliography

This is part two of a series of four methodological papers on (bi)quaternions and their use in theoretical and mathematical physics: 1- Alphabetical bibliography, 2- Analytical bibliography, 3- Notations and terminology, and 4- Formulas and identities. This quaternion bibliography will be further updated and corrected if necessary by the authors, who welcome any comment and reference that is not contained within the list.

math-ph↗

arXiv2005

Antimatter weapons (1946-1986): From Fermi and Teller's speculations to the first open scientific publications

We recall the early theoretical speculations on the possible explosive uses of antimatter, from 1946 to the first production of antiprotons, at Berkeley in 1955, and until the first capture of cold antiprotons, at CERN on July 17-18, 1986, as well as the circumstances of the first presentation at a scientific conference of the correct physical processes leading to the ignition of a large scale thermonuclear explosion using less than a few micrograms of antimatter as trigger, at Madrid on June 30th - July 4th, 1986.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2005

Lanczos - Einstein - Petiau: From Dirac's equation to nonlinear wave mechanics

In 1929 Lanczos showed how to derive Dirac's equation from a more fundamental system that predicted that spin 1/2 particles should come in pairs. Today, these pairs can unambiguously be interpreted as isospin doublets. From the same fundamental equation, Lanczos derived also the correct form of the wave equation of massive spin 1 particles that would be rediscovered in 1936 by Proca. Lanczos's fundamental system was put in Lagrangian form and generalized in 1933 by Einstein and Mayer, who used the semivector instead of the quaternion formalism. Although they not did study all possible solutions, Einstein and Mayer showed that the doublets consisted of particles with different mass and charge. In fact, there are two main classes of doublets: proton/neutron and electron/neutrino pairs.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2005

The physics of antimatter induced fusion and thermonuclear explosions

The possibility of using antihydrogen for igniting inertial confinement fusion pellets or triggering large-scale thermonuclear explosions is investigated. The number of antiproton annihilations required to start a thermonuclear burn wave in either DT or Li_2DT is found to be about 10^{21}/k^2, where k is the compression factor of the fuel to be ignited. We conclude that the financial and energy investments needed to produce such amounts of antiprotons would confine applications of antimatter triggered thermonuclear devices to the military domain.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2005

Antimatter underestimated

We warn of the potential nuclear proliferation's consequences of military applications of nano- or microgram amounts of antimatter, such as triggering of high-yield thermonuclear explosions, laser pumping, compact sources of energy, directed-energy beams, and portable sources of muons.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2005

Antimatter induced fusion and thermonuclear explosions

The feasibility of using antihydrogen for igniting inertial confinement fusion pellets or triggering large scale thermonuclear explosions is investigated. The number of antiproton annihilations required to start a thermonuclear burn wave in either DT or Li_2DT is found to be about 10^{21}/k^2, where k is the compression factor of the fuel to be ignited. In the second part, the technologies for producing antiprotons with high energy accelerator systems and the means for manipulating and storing microgram amounts of antihydrogen are examined. While there seems to be no theoretical obstacles to the production of 10^{18} antiprotons per day (the amount required for triggering one thermonuclear bomb), the construction of such a plant involves several techniques which are between 3 and 4 orders of magnitude away from present day technology.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2005

Cornelius Lanczos's derivation of the usual action integral of classical electrodynamics

The usual action integral of classical electrodynamics is derived starting from Lanczos's electrodynamics -- a pure field theory in which charged particles are identified with singularities of the homogeneous Maxwell's equations interpreted as a generalization of the Cauchy-Riemann regularity conditions from complex to biquaternion functions of four complex variables. It is shown that contrary to the usual theory based on the inhomogeneous Maxwell's equations, in which charged particles are identified with the sources, there is no divergence in the self-interaction so that the mass is finite, and that the only approximation made in the derivation are the usual conditions required for the internal consistency of classical electrodynamics. Moreover, it is found that the radius of the boundary surface enclosing a singularity interpreted as an electron is on the same order as that of the hypothetical "bag" confining the quarks in a hadron, so that Lanczos's electrodynamics is engaging the reconsideration of many fundamental concepts related to the nature of elementary particles.

math-ph↗

arXiv2004

Lanczos's functional theory of electrodynamics: A commentary on Lanczos's PhD dissertation

Lanczos's idea of classical electrodynamics as a biquaternionic field theory in which point singularities are interpreted as electrons is reevaluated. Using covariant quaternionic integration techniques developed by Paul Weiss in 1941, we show that the Lagrangian suggested by Lanczos in his thesis of 1919 is equivalent to the standard Lagrangian of classical electrodynamics. On the mathematical side, Lanczos's thesis contains the correct generalizations of the Cauchy-Riemann regularity conditions, and of Cauchy's formula, from complex numbers to quaternions. Lanczos therefore anticipated Moisil-Fueter's discovery of 1931 by more than 12 years.

math-ph↗

arXiv2004

ITER: The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and the nuclear weapons proliferation implications of thermonuclear-fusion energy systems

This report contains two parts: (1) A list of "points" highlighting the strategic-political and military-technical reasons and implications of the very probable siting of ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in Japan, which should be confirmed sometimes in early 2004. (2) A technical analysis of the nuclear weapons proliferation implications of inertial- and magnetic-confinement fusion systems substantiating the technical points highlighted in the first part, and showing that while full access to the physics of thermonuclear weapons is the main implication of ICF, full access to large-scale tritium technology is the main proliferation impact of MCF. The conclusion of the report is that siting ITER in a country such as Japan, which already has a large separated-plutonium stockpile, and an ambitious laser-driven ICF program (comparable in size and quality to those of the United States or France), will considerably increase its latent (or virtual) nuclear weapons proliferation status, and foster further nuclear proliferation throughout the world.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2003

Lanczos's equation as a way out of the spin 3/2 crisis?

It is shown (1) that Lanczos's quaternionic formulation of Dirac's equation does not lead to a solution of the problems that plague the standard spin 3/2 theory based on the Rarita-Schwinger equation, but (2) that the four-component solutions to the quaternionic generalization of Dirac's equation proposed by Lanczos in 1929 may provide a consistent theory for spin 3/2 particles, although at the cost of giving up the postulate that there should be a one-to-one correspondence between arbitrary-high-spin unitary representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group and elementary particles.

math-ph↗

arXiv2002

A comparison of delayed radiobiological effects of depleted-uranium munitions versus fourth-generation nuclear weapons

It is shown that the radiological burden due to the battlefield use of circa 400 tons of depleted-uranium munitions in Iraq (and of about 40 tons in Yugoslavia) is comparable to that arising from the hypothetical battle-field use of more than 600 kt (respectively 60 kt) of high-explosive equivalent pure-fusion fourth-generation nuclear weapons. Despite the limited knowledge openly available on existing and future nuclear weapons, there is sufficient published information on their physical principles and radiological effects to make such a comparison. In fact, it is shown that this comparison can be made with very simple and convincing arguments so that the main technical conclusions of the paper are undisputable -- although it would be worthwhile to supplement the hand calculations presented in the paper by more detailed computer simulations in order to consolidate the conclusions and refute any possible objections.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2002

Comment on formulating and generalizing Dirac's, Proca's, and Maxwell's equations with biquaternions or Clifford numbers

Many difficulties of interpretation met by contemporary researchers attempting to recast or generalize Dirac's, Proca's, or Maxwell's theories using biquaternions or Clifford numbers have been encountered long ago by a number of physicists including Lanczos, Proca, and Einstein. In the modern approach initiated by Gursey, these difficulties are solved by recognizing that most generalizations lead to theories describing superpositions of particles of different intrinsic spin and isospin, so that the correct interpretation emerges from the requirement of full Poincare covariance, including space and time reversal, as well as of reversion and gauge invariance. For instance, the doubling of the number of solutions implied by the simplest generalization of Dirac's equation (i.e., Lanczos's equation) can be interpreted as isospin. In this approach, biquaternions and Clifford numbers become powerful opportunities to formulate the Standard Model of elementary particles, as well as many of its possible generalizations, in very elegant and compact ways.

math-ph↗

arXiv2002

Non-linear field theory for lepton and quark masses

Barut's formula for the mass of leptons is successfully extended to quarks. A very simple non-linear scalar field model explains both the N^4 power law dependence of the mass, and the existence of a cut-off which limits the number of leptons to three and the number of quarks to five, suggesting that the mass of the sixth quark is of different origin.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Comment on "Deuterium--tritium fusion reactors without external fusion breeding" by Eliezer et al

Inclusion of inverse Compton effects in the calculation of deuterium-deuterium burn under the extreme conditions considered by Eliezer et al. [Phys. Lett. A 243 (1998) 298] are shown to decrease the maximum burn temperature from about 300 keV to only 100--150 keV. This decrease is such that tritium breeding by the DD --> T + p reaction is not sufficient to replace the small amount of tritium that is initially added to the deuterium plasma in order to trigger ignition at less than 10 keV.

physics.plasm-ph↗