The Physics of Ettore Majorana : Theoretical, Mathematical, and Phenomenological

Through just a handful of papers, Ettore Majorana left an indelible mark in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science and even economics before his mysterious disappearance in 1938. It is only now that the importance of Majorana's work is being realised: Majorana fermions are intensely studied today, and his work on neutrino physics has provided possible explanations for the existence of dark matter. In this unique volume, Salvatore Esposito explores not only Majorana's known papers but, even more interestingly, unveils his unpublished works as well. These include powerful methods and results, ranging from the atomic two-centre problem, the Thomas-Fermi model and ferromagnetism to quasi-stationary states, n-component relativistic wave equations and quantum scalar electrodynamics. Featuring biographical notes and contributions from leading experts Evgeny Akhmedov and Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek, this fascinating book will captivate graduate students and researchers interested in frontier science as well as in the history of science. Contents 5 Acknowledgments 12 Part I Introducing the character 13 1 Life and myth 15 2 The visible side 29 Part II Atomic physics 73 3 Two-electron problem 75 4 Thomas–Fermi model 95 Part III Nuclear and statistical physics 119 5 Quasi-stationary nuclear states 121 6 Theory of ferromagnetism 139 Part IV Relativistic fields and group theory 159 7 Groups and their applications to quantum mechanics 161 8 Dirac equations and some alternatives 187 Part V Quantum field theory 205 9 Scalar electrodynamics 207 10 Photons and electrons 226 Part VI Fundamental theories and other topics 239 11 A “path integral” approach to quantum mechanics 241 12 Fundamental lengths and times 248 13 Majorana’s multifaceted life 258 Part VII Beyond Majorana 289 14 Majorana and condensed matter physics 291 15 Majorana neutrinos and other Majorana particles: theory and experiment 315 Appendix Molecular bonding in quantum mechanics 366 References 376 Author index 389 Subject index 391 THE,PHYSICS,OF,ETTORE,MAJORANA Annotation Ettore Majorana left an indelible mark in physics, mathematics, computer science and even economics before his mysterious disappearance. This unique volume explores Majorana's known papers and unveils his unpublished works, and will fascinate graduate students and researchers interested in the history of science Salvatore Esposito. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.