TY - JOUR
T1 - From dressed electrons to quasiparticles
T2 - the emergence of emergent entities in quantum field theory
AU - Blum, Alexander S.
AU - Joas, Christian
PY - 2016/2
Y1 - 2016/2
N2 - In the 1970s, the reinterpretation of renormalization group techniques in terms of effective field theories and their subsequent rapid development led to a major reinterpretation of the entire renormalization program, originally formulated in the late 1940s within quantum electrodynamics (QED). A more gradual shift in its interpretation, however, occurred already in the early-to-mid-1950s when renormalization techniques were transferred to solid-state and nuclear physics and helped establish the notion of effective or quasi-particles, emergent entities that are not to be found in the original, microscopic description of the theory. We study how the methods of QED, when applied in different contexts, gave rise to this ontological reinterpretation.
AB - In the 1970s, the reinterpretation of renormalization group techniques in terms of effective field theories and their subsequent rapid development led to a major reinterpretation of the entire renormalization program, originally formulated in the late 1940s within quantum electrodynamics (QED). A more gradual shift in its interpretation, however, occurred already in the early-to-mid-1950s when renormalization techniques were transferred to solid-state and nuclear physics and helped establish the notion of effective or quasi-particles, emergent entities that are not to be found in the original, microscopic description of the theory. We study how the methods of QED, when applied in different contexts, gave rise to this ontological reinterpretation.
KW - Emergence
KW - History of physics
KW - Many-body physics
KW - Quantum electrodynamics
KW - Reduction
KW - Renormalization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84949506318&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2015.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2015.10.005
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84949506318
SN - 1355-2198
VL - 53
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
ER -