p. 1286. Identical particles
- Roger BowleyRoger BowleyDepartment of Physics University of Nottingham
- , and Mariana Sánchez
Abstract
This chapter introduces the partition function that involves a sum over independent quantum states of the N-particle system. It outlines the problem of distinguishability, that is, how to distinguish one electron from another when they are replicas of each other and are all the same. It also emphasizes that electrons have no feature or label based on which they can be told apart, and they repeat the same attributes endlessly. The chapter explains that identical particles lead to complications in the quantum mechanical description of the microscopic state of the system as there are no observable changes in the system when any two particles are exchanged. It analyses the uncertainty principle, wherein the position of a particle cannot be accurately specified at each stage, nor can the precise trajectory of a particle be followed.
