Mendel Sachs
Encyclopedia
Mendel Sachs is a US theoretical physicist who was Professor of Physics at the State University of New York Buffalo (1966–97) (Emeritus since 1997).
at the University of California, Los Angeles
. Following the award of his PhD he was employed at the University of California Radiation Laboratory (1954–56). Then, he was a Senior Scientist at Lockheed Missiles and Space Laboratory (1956–1961). He was also employed as Assistant Professor of Physics at San Jose State College (1957–1961). In 1961 he became a Research Professor at McGill University
; this was followed by a post as Associate Professor of Physics at Boston University
(1962–1966). In
1966 he was appointed Professor of Physics at State University of New York at Buffalo. On his retirement in 1997 he was given the title Professor of Physics Emeritus.
His theory is based on three axioms: (1) the principle of relativity
, (2) a generalized Mach principle
, in which electromagnetism and gravity, as well as inertial mass, derives from the interaction of matter, and (3) a correspondence principle
. The result is a continuous quaternion
-based formalism modeling the electromagnetic (including the nuclear) forces, gravitational, and inertial manifestations of matter in general relativity
. The transformation symmetry group
is the Einstein group
, the group that Sachs claims Einstein sought for the unified field. It approaches the Poincare group
as the special relativity
limit is approached. Sachs shows empirically that quantum mechanics
emerges in the nonrelativistic (low energy-momentum transfer) domain.
"The well known trouble with RQFT," says Sachs, is that when its formal expression is examined for its solutions, it is found that it does not have any! This is because of infinities that are automatically generated in this formulation." Through general relativity, he produces theoretical results without resorting to arbitrary parameters or renormalization, some in closer agreement with experiment than those derived from quantum field theory
, such as for the Lamb splitting with N = 4.
Sachs contends that, due to fundamental incompatibilities between relativity theory and quantum theory
, there can never be a quantum theory of gravity.
Education and career
Sachs studied for his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D., all in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Following the award of his PhD he was employed at the University of California Radiation Laboratory (1954–56). Then, he was a Senior Scientist at Lockheed Missiles and Space Laboratory (1956–1961). He was also employed as Assistant Professor of Physics at San Jose State College (1957–1961). In 1961 he became a Research Professor at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
; this was followed by a post as Associate Professor of Physics at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(1962–1966). In
1966 he was appointed Professor of Physics at State University of New York at Buffalo. On his retirement in 1997 he was given the title Professor of Physics Emeritus.
Completion of Albert Einstein's unified field theory
Sachs has attempted to complete Albert Einstein's unified field theory by unifying the fields relativistically, then showing that Quantum Mechanics emerges under certain conditions.His theory is based on three axioms: (1) the principle of relativity
Principle of relativity
In physics, the principle of relativity is the requirement that the equations describing the laws of physics have the same form in all admissible frames of reference....
, (2) a generalized Mach principle
Mach principle
In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, a Mach principle is any of a class of principles which are more specific statements of Mach's principle....
, in which electromagnetism and gravity, as well as inertial mass, derives from the interaction of matter, and (3) a correspondence principle
Correspondence principle
In physics, the correspondence principle states that the behavior of systems described by the theory of quantum mechanics reproduces classical physics in the limit of large quantum numbers....
. The result is a continuous quaternion
Quaternion
In mathematics, the quaternions are a number system that extends the complex numbers. They were first described by Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 and applied to mechanics in three-dimensional space...
-based formalism modeling the electromagnetic (including the nuclear) forces, gravitational, and inertial manifestations of matter in general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
. The transformation symmetry group
Symmetry group
The symmetry group of an object is the group of all isometries under which it is invariant with composition as the operation...
is the Einstein group
Einstein group
Albert Einstein, in searching for the transformation group for his unified field theory, wrote:Every attempt to establish a unified field theory must start, in my opinion, from a group of transformations which is no less general than that of the continuous transformations of the four coordinates...
, the group that Sachs claims Einstein sought for the unified field. It approaches the Poincare group
Poincaré group
In physics and mathematics, the Poincaré group, named after Henri Poincaré, is the group of isometries of Minkowski spacetime.-Simple explanation:...
as the special relativity
Special relativity
Special relativity is the physical theory of measurement in an inertial frame of reference proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in the paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies".It generalizes Galileo's...
limit is approached. Sachs shows empirically that quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
emerges in the nonrelativistic (low energy-momentum transfer) domain.
"The well known trouble with RQFT," says Sachs, is that when its formal expression is examined for its solutions, it is found that it does not have any! This is because of infinities that are automatically generated in this formulation." Through general relativity, he produces theoretical results without resorting to arbitrary parameters or renormalization, some in closer agreement with experiment than those derived from quantum field theory
Quantum field theory
Quantum field theory provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized by an infinite number of dynamical degrees of freedom, that is, fields and many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and...
, such as for the Lamb splitting with N = 4.
Sachs contends that, due to fundamental incompatibilities between relativity theory and quantum theory
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, there can never be a quantum theory of gravity.
Sach's symposium and the festschrift
A symposium was held in Sachs honour in 1997 and a subesequent festschrift published Fragments of Science: Festschrift for Mendel Sachs ed Michael Ram.External links
- Mendel Sachs' website
- THE INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF EINSTEIN’S RELATIVITY ON MY ATTITUDES IN SCIENCE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, MENDEL SACHS, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, From: FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE: Festschrift for Mendel Sachs, M. Ram, editor (World Scientific, 1999), pp. 201 – 233.