Well, I just had a talk this morning with one of my Professors about my future final year projects about Photochemistry-related studies. We digressed, actually. My original intention in seeing him was actually to ask for which quantum mechanics topics to delve into for further understanding in light-matter interaction and radioactivity. I was really interested (or curious, perhaps) to know more about these two topics.
Light-matter interaction was actually governed by quantum field theory which may be expanded to quantum electrodynamics when relativistic correction was applied. The motive behind my drive in understanding such complex theory was to be able to explain different types of material behavior towards light; why some material is transparent? why the others are opaque? and why some does not allow light to pass through? what is the quantum explanation for light reflection and refraction? what is the quantum explanation for Snell's law?
I know I sounded like a realist, and let me tell you a fact about myself; In science philosophy, I do associate my ways of thinking more towards how a realist may think. I believe in a complete, fully describable reality of Nature and I believe that there will be always "Why" after any preceding "Why"-s. A positivist will argue that my ways of thinking are not valid, since the levels of abstraction will be altered to a point where the question itself is meaningless and hence, metaphysical. For instance, why a photon behaves like a particle and wave? A positivist will answer it by saying "That's what we observe and we believe that there's no further need to know what's beyond that since we don't observe them" whereas a realist will argue that "There are more fundamental symmetry that is yet to be discovered that may render a photon as a particle and wave depending on its circumstances."
Enough of the philosophy, let me continue about my reason why I am interested in radioactivity. Since the dawn of atomic physics, scientific revolution occurred by the increased interest in nuclear power, radiotheraphy, radiocarbon dating, atomic weapons, fusion power etc. I am very aware that theoretical foundation of radioactivity had been rigorously described since 70s (or maybe later or earlier, I don't know, I am no historian) and I have yet to understand them. I really want to know whether is it possible or not to suppress radioactive decay. If it is not possible, why? If it's possible, how? I believe that the nuclear structure of an atom which is bound by the weak force interaction may give some descriptions (instead of direct answers). This is obviously not the field of my expertise, but I am really interested to know more about this and who knows maybe one day we can suppress radioactive decay and produce a stable artificial nuclei which belongs to the "Stability Island" and revealed more exciting Chemistry.
With regard to decay, I am also interested to know why those fundamental particles decays. Why muon decays whereas electron is stable? Muon is a complete copy of an electron except for its mass and thus, in a realist point of view, there must be something that we have yet to discover to explain those mass difference. Once, one said that it was because of their different extent of coupling to the Higgs field, but again, I am no expertise in this field and I am just a boy who is curious about how Nature works.
Well, rambling about my current interest sure provide myself with a self-entertainment. HAHA!
Quest for knowledge starts!!!
peace
vixklen
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