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Is the Pauli exclusive principle an independent quantum mechanical postulate?
Author(s) -
Kaplan I. G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of quantum chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.484
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-461X
pISSN - 0020-7608
DOI - 10.1002/qua.10276
Subject(s) - pauli exclusion principle , degenerate energy levels , permutation (music) , quantum mechanics , theoretical physics , wave function , quantum , physics , identical particles , function (biology) , symmetry (geometry) , spin (aerodynamics) , mathematics , acoustics , biology , thermodynamics , geometry , evolutionary biology
Foundation of the Pauli exclusive principle is discussed. It is demonstrated that the indistinguishability principle is insensitive to the permutation symmetry of the wave function and cannot be used as a criterion for the verification of the Pauli exclusive principle. The heuristic arguments are given in favor that the existence in nature of only the nondegenerate permutation representations (symmetrical and antisymmetrical) is not occasional. As follows from our analysis of possible scenarios, the permission of degenerate permutation representations leads to contradictions with the concept of particle identity and their independence. Thus, the prohibition of degenerate permutation states by the Pauli exclusive principle follows from the general physical assumptions inside quantum theory, but the problem of spin–statistics connection is still open. It is pointed out that the Pauli exclusive principle and the Jahn–Teller effect have some similar features. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002