{"title":"The origin(s) and meaning(s) of the primeval atom hypothesis: quantum physics meets Lemaître’s cosmology","authors":"Dominique Lambert","doi":"10.1007/s10714-025-03422-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The aim of this paper is to study the historical roots of Lemaître’s famous Primeval Atom Hypothesis (PAH) which are in fact not at all unique. We show that the PAH was linked to his early interests in quantum themes and concepts (Heisenberg uncertainty relations, Eddington-Dirac spinors, etc.) which he studied around 1930, but also to his researches on singularities in General Relativity and above all to this passion for Cosmic Rays, which stimulated his thought in Physics (Celestial Mechanics, for example) but also in Mathematics (numerical analysis, computing science, etc.) The second aim of this paper is to understand the epistemological status of this hypothesis. This status as well as the meaning of the Primeval Atom was evolving during Lemaître’s life. The PAH was never precisely described mathematically in the field of <i>cosmology</i> but acted as a <i>cosmogonical</i> image, generating many fruitful intuitions and stimulating many technical researches.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":578,"journal":{"name":"General Relativity and Gravitation","volume":"57 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"General Relativity and Gravitation","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10714-025-03422-0","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the historical roots of Lemaître’s famous Primeval Atom Hypothesis (PAH) which are in fact not at all unique. We show that the PAH was linked to his early interests in quantum themes and concepts (Heisenberg uncertainty relations, Eddington-Dirac spinors, etc.) which he studied around 1930, but also to his researches on singularities in General Relativity and above all to this passion for Cosmic Rays, which stimulated his thought in Physics (Celestial Mechanics, for example) but also in Mathematics (numerical analysis, computing science, etc.) The second aim of this paper is to understand the epistemological status of this hypothesis. This status as well as the meaning of the Primeval Atom was evolving during Lemaître’s life. The PAH was never precisely described mathematically in the field of cosmology but acted as a cosmogonical image, generating many fruitful intuitions and stimulating many technical researches.
期刊介绍：
General Relativity and Gravitation is a journal devoted to all aspects of modern gravitational science, and published under the auspices of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.
It welcomes in particular original articles on the following topics of current research:
Analytical general relativity, including its interface with geometrical analysis
Numerical relativity
Theoretical and observational cosmology
Relativistic astrophysics
Gravitational waves: data analysis, astrophysical sources and detector science
Extensions of general relativity
Supergravity
Gravitational aspects of string theory and its extensions
Quantum gravity: canonical approaches, in particular loop quantum gravity, and path integral approaches, in particular spin foams, Regge calculus and dynamical triangulations
Quantum field theory in curved spacetime
Non-commutative geometry and gravitation
Experimental gravity, in particular tests of general relativity
The journal publishes articles on all theoretical and experimental aspects of modern general relativity and gravitation, as well as book reviews and historical articles of special interest.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
