[PhilPhys] CfP: Theoretical and experimental aspects of the spon-statistics connections and related symmetries

[Michela Massimi]

International workshop on

"Theoretical and experimental aspects of the spin-statistics connections and
related symmetries",

INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), Trieste, Italy, October 21-25,
2008

Website: http://www.ts.infn.it/eventi/spinstat2008/index.php

International Advisory Committee

    * Steven Adler (Inst. Adv. Studies Princeton, USA)
    * A. P. Balachandran (Syracuse University, USA)
    * Sergio Bertolucci (LNF-INFN, Italy)
    * Michael Berry (University of Bristol, UK)
    * Giuseppe Furlan (University of Trieste, Italy)
    * Oscar W. Greenberg (University of Maryland, USA)
    * Giancarlo Ghirardi (University of Trieste, Italy)
    * Robert Hilborn (University of Texas, USA)
    * Michela Massimi (University College London, UK)
    * Nick Mavromatos (King's College London, UK)
    * Lev Okun (ITEP Moskow, Russia)
    * Martin Reuter (University of Mainz, Germany)
    * Guglielmo Tino (University of Firenze, Italy)


Program outline

The workshop will focus on experimental and theoretical aspects of the
spin-statistics connection and of related symmetries (in particular the CPT and
the Lorentz symmetries).
One important consequence of the spin-statistics connection the well-known Pauli
Exclusion Principle (PEP) which plays a pivotal role in our understanding of
countless physical and chemical phenomena that range from the periodic table of
the elements to the dynamics of white dwarfs and neutron stars. Its foundations
lie deep in the structure of quantum field theory and it has been spectacularly
confirmed by the number and accuracy of its predictions, but up till now it has
defied all attempts to produce a simple, intuitive proof. Pauli himself, in his
Nobel prize lecture, remarked that already in my original paper I stressed the
circumstance that I was unable to give a logical reason for the exclusion
principle or to deduce it from more general assumption. I had the feeling and I
still have it today, that this is a deficiency. The impression that the shadow
of some incompleteness fell here on the bright light of success of the new
quantum mechanics seems to me unavoidable. Pauli's conclusion is still
basically true today.

On the theoretical side, several theorists explore theories - such as
parastatistics, quon-theory, existence of hidden dimensions, a new
spin-statistics connection in the framework of quantum gravity, etc. - which
may allow tiny violations of PEP.
Because of the basic standing of the Pauli Exclusion Principle in quantum theory
and motivated by these alternative theoretical approaches, many experimentalists
carry out precise tests of the validity of PEP: indeed in the last years several
experiments (atomic, nuclear, particle physics) have been performed to search
for possible small violations. Thus new limits have recently been obtained for
the validity of PEP for nuclei, nucleons and electrons, and will be discussed
during the Workshop, for the first time in a single framework, together with
theoretical implications and future perspectives.

The Workshop's aim is to realize a "constructive interference" between theorists
and experimentalists towards possible new concepts of nuclear and particle
physics tests of spin-statistics connection (PEP in particular) and in the
interpretation of previous results. Implications of PEP and PEP violation in
other sectors of Modern Physics will also be explored.

The Workshop's items are fundamental in all areas of physics, in much of
chemistry and astrophysics. The conference will bring together experimentalists
and theorists, to survey the work done during the past years that challenges the
traditional views of these issues and to put forward new possible experimental
tests, as well as new theoretical frameworks. The workshop will also explore
connections with rapidly developing fields such as other fundamental
symmetries, supersymmetry and quantum gravity.


-- 
Dr. Michela Massimi
Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Science
Dept. of Science and Technology Studies
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
tel.: 02076791321
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/massimi/