The Origin of the Plancks Constant

H. Y. Cui
Department of Applied Physics
Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Beijing, 100083, China

February 1, 2008
arXiv:quant-ph/0108072v1 15 Aug 2001

Abstract
mu + qA = (1)
In this paper, we discuss an equation which does not contain
the Plancks constant, but it will turn out the Plancks For applying Eq.(1) to specific applications, we set =
constant when we apply the equation to the problems of i, then Eq.(1) is rewritten as
particle diffraction.
(mu + qA ) = i (2)
PACS numbers: 03.65Bz, 03.65.Ca, 03.65.Pm
the coefficient is subject to the interpretation of .
Eq.(1) was obtained in the authors previous paper[1],
here we shall not discuss its deduction, conversely, shall
discuss how to use it and reveal its relation with the
1 Introduction Plancks constant.
There are three mathematical properties of worth
In 1900, M. Planck assumed that the energy of a har- recording here. First, if there is a path li joining initial
mornic oscilator can take on only discrete values which point x0 to final point x, then
are integral multiples of h, where is the vibration fre- i
Rx
x (l ) (mu +qA )dx
quency and h is a fundamental constant, now either h or i = e 0 i (3)
h = h/2 is called as Plancks constant. The Plancks

constant next made its appearance in 1905, when Ein- Second, the integral of Eq.(3) is independent of the choice
stein used it to explain the photoelectric effect, he as- of path. Third, the superposition principle is valid for i ,
sumed that the energy in an electromagnetic wave of fre- i.e., if there are N paths from x0 to x, then
quency is in the form of discrete quanta (photons) each
X
N
of which has an energy h in accordance with Plancks = i (4)
assumption. From then, it has been recognized that the i
Plancks constant plays a key role in the quantum me-
chanics. X
N X
N

In this paper, we discuss an equation which does not mu = mu i / i (5)

i i
contain the Plancks constant, but it will turn out the
Plancks constant when we apply the equation to the (mu + qA ) = i (6)
problems of particle diffraction.
Consider a particle of mass m and charge q mov- where mu is average momentum.
ing in an electromagnetic field in a Minkowskis space To gain further insight into physical meanings of this
(x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 = ict), the 4-vector velocity of the particle theorem, we shall discuss four applications.
is denoted by u , the 4-vector potential of the electro-
magnetic field is denoted by A , where and below we
use Greek letters for subscripts that range from 1 to 4. 2 Two slit experiment
We write a theorem to specify our argument.
As shown in Fig.1, suppose that the electron gun emits
Theorem: No mater how to move or when to move
a burst of electrons at x0 at time t = 0, the electrons
in the Minkowskis space, the motion of the particle is
arrive at the point x on the screen at time t. There
governed by a potential function as
are two paths for the electron to go to the destination,
E-mail: hycui@public.fhnet.cn.net according to our above theorem, is given by

1
 located a tiny solenoid S, designed so that a magnetic
Two Slits Screen field perpendicular to the plane of the figure can be pro-
duced in its interior. No magnetic field is allowed outside
the solenoid, and the walls of the solenoid are such that
no electron can penetrate to the interior. Like Eq.(7),
Electron Gun the amplitude is given by
a b
x0 c i
Rx i
Rx
(mu +qA )dx (mu +qA )dx
d x = e x0 (l1 )
+ e x0 (l2 )
(9)

and the probability is given by

W = (x) (x)
i
Rx i
Rx
x (l ) (mu +qA )dx x (l ) (mu +qA )dx
= 2 + eR 0 1
R
0 2

i x x
(mu +qA )dx i (mu +qA )dx
Figure 1: A diffraction experiment in which electron +e x0 (l2 ) x0 (l1 )

beam from the gun through the two slits to form a Z x

p 1
diffractin pattern at the screen. = 2 + 2 cos[ (l1 l2 ) + qA dx
x0 (l1 )
Z x
1
Rx Rx qA dx ]
x0 (l2 )
I
i i
(mu )dx (mu )dx
= e x0 (l1 )
+ e x0 (l2 )
(7) p 1
= 2 + 2 cos[ (l1 l2 ) + qA dx ]
where we use l1 and l2 to denote the paths a + b and (l1 +l2 )
c + d respectively. Multiplying Eq.(7) by its complex p q
conjugate gives = 2 + 2 cos[ (l1 l2 ) + ] (10)

where l2 denotes the inverse path to the path l2 , is the

W = (x) (x)
i
Rx Rx magnetic flux that passes through the surface between
(mu )dx i (mu )dx
= 2 + eR x0 (l1 ) x0 (l2 ) the paths l1 and l2 , and it is just the flux inside the
i x R x solenoid.
(mu )dx i (mu )dx
+e x0 (l2 ) x0 (l1 )
Z x
1
= 2 + 2 cos[ (mu )dx Two Slits Screen
x0 (l1 )
Z x
1
(mu )d ]
x0 (l2 )
p Electron Gun
= 2 + 2 cos[ (l1 l2 )] (8)
a b
where p is the momentum of the electron. We find a x0 c S
typical interference pattern with constructive interfer-
d x
ence when l1 l2 is an integral multiple of /p, and
destructive interference when it is a half integral mul-
tiple. This kind of experiment has been done a long age,
no mater what kind of particle, the comparision of the
experiment to Eq.(8) leads to two consequences: (1) the
complex function is found to be probability amplitude,
i.e., (x) (x) expresses the probability of finding a par-
ticle at location x in the Minkowskis space. (2) is the Figure 2: A diffraction experiment with adding a
Plancks constant. solenoid.

Now, constructive (or destructive) interference occurs

3 The Aharonov-Bohm effect when
Let us consider the modification of the two slit experi- p q 1
ment, as shown in Fig.2. Between the two slits there is (l1 l2 ) + = 2n (or n+ ) (11)
2

2
where n is an integer. When takes the value of the
Plancks constant, we know that this effect is just the
Aharonov-Bohm effect which was shown experimentally
in 1960.
When = h , Eq.(14) is just the Bohr-Somerfeld quan-
tization rule for the hydrogen atom.
The probability of the electron outside the orbit should
vanish, in where the momentum of the electron should
become imaginary.

4 The hydrogen atom

5 The motion of particle in a po-
The hydrogen atom is one of the few physically significant
quantum-mechanical systems for which an exact solution tential well
can be found and the theoretical predictions compared
Let us now restrict ourselves to one dimensional well. We
with experiment.
choose point x0 to locate at the left turning point and x
Rutherfords model of a hydrogen atom consists of a
at arbitrary point in the well, as shown in Fig.4, likewise,
nucleus made up of a single proton and of a single elec-
there are two paths l1 and l2 from x0 to x to correspond
tron outside the nucleus, the electron moves in an orbit
to coming (l1 ) and back (l2 ) for the particle motion,
about the nucleus. Here we consider two points denoted
like Eq.(12) and (13), we obtain the probability as
by x0 and x in the orbit, and two paths l1 and l2 from x0
to x along different directions, as shown in Fig.3. Then,
according to our above theorem, the probability ampli- V A Potential Well
tude is given by

Right T.P.
l1
Left T.P.
x Electron
x0
Nucleus
l2
l1
x0 x X
l2
l2
Figure 3: The electron moves in an orbit about the
necleus.
Figure 4: The motion of particle in a potential well. The
left and right turning points are indicated on the poten-
i
Rx i
Rx tial well.
(mu +qA )dx (mu +qA )dx
= e x0 (l1 )
+e x0 (l2 )
(12)
and the probability is given by
W = (x) (x) W = (x) (x)
I I
1 1
= 2 + 2 cos[ (mu + qA )dx ] = 2 + 2 cos[ (mu + qA )dx ]
(l1 +l2 ) (l1 +l2 )
I I
1 1
= 2 + 2 cos[ (muk )dxk ] = 2 + 2 cos[ pdx] (15)
(l1 +l2 ) (l1 +l2 )
I
1 The integral about time vanishes for the stationary state.
= 2 + 2 cos[ pk dxk ] (13)
(l1 +l2 ) The probability has a distribution in the well, but it will
vanish at the right turning point for satisfying boundary
where k = 1, 2, 3, pk = muk . For the stationary states,
condition, this leads to
the integral about time will be automatically eliminated
because the probability should be stable. The probability I
1
of the electron at every point in the orbit should be the pdx = 2(n + ) (16)
2
same because these points in the orbit are equivalent, this
leads to where the integral is evaluated over one whole period
I of classical motion, from the left turning point to the
right and back. We again meet the Bohr-Sommerfeld
pk dxk = 2n (14)
(orbit) quantization rule for the old quantum theory when we

3
take = h , although it was originally written in the
form of Eq.(14) in 1915 due to A. Sommerfeld and W.
Wilson.

6 Discussion
The above formulation based on the theorem of Eq.(1) is
successful to the quantum mechanics, but we emphasize
that Eq.(1) is essentially different from the Schrodingers
equation. In the authors previous paper we have proved
that we can derive the Schrodingers equation from our
Eq.(1), inversely we can not obtain Eq.(1) from the
Schrodingers equation.
We always assume that the path integral about time
vanishes for stationary state, because we always inves-
tigate stable experimental phenomena. If we can be
equipped to investigate dynamic processes, the path in-
tegral about time will display its effects.

7 Conclusion
The Plancks constant is an fundamental constant which
can be well defined in the theorem of Eq.(1).

References
[1] H. Y. Cui, eprint, quant-ph/0102114,(2001).
[2] E. G. Harris, Introduction to Modern Theoretical
Physics, Vol.1&2, (John Wiley & Sons, USA, 1975).
[3] L. I. Schiff, Quantum Mechanics, third edition,
(McGraw-Hill, USA, 1968).
[4] J. J. Sakurai, Modern Quantum Mechanics, (Ben-
jamin/Cummings, USA, 1985).
[5] H. Y. Cui, College Physics, 4, 13(1989).
[6] H. Y. Cui, eprint, physcis/0102073, (2001).