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Johnny's So Long at the Ferromagnet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Laura Ruetsche
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Abstract

Starting from the standard quantum formalism for a single spin$\frac{1}{2}$ system (e.g., an electron), this essay develops a model rich enough not only to afford an explication of symmetry breaking but also to frame questions about how to circumscribe physical possibility on behalf of theories that countenance symmetry breaking.

Type
Symmetries and Transitions
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 73 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2004 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part II: Symposia Papers. Edited by Miriam Solomon , December 2006 , pp. 473 - 486
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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