Gesammelte Werke Collected Works – serie

This second Series A volume of Werner Heisenberg's Collected Works covers a period of about 15 years beginning with the early papers on quantum field theory in 1929/30 and ending with those on the scattering matrix (up to 1946). The reader will find Heisenberg contributions to Dirac's theory of the electron, to nuclear physics, to cosmic ray phenomena, and to reactor physics. The papers on the Uranium Project, classified for a long time and never fully published before, will certainly attract a wide audience. As in the first volume, each group of papers is furnished with an introduction in English by an eminent scientist. The contributing scientists are: R. Haag, A. Pais, C.F. von Weizsäcker, E. Bagge, K. Wirtz, and R. Oehme.

vii FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH EDITION The lectures which I gave at the University of Chicago ix It is an unusual pleasure to present Professor Heisen- in the spring of 1929 afforded me the opportunity of re- berg's Chicago lectures on "The Physical Principles of viewing the fundamental principles of quantum theory. the Quantum Theory" to a wider audience than could Since the conclusive studies of Bohr in 1927 there have attend them when they were originally delivered. Pro- been no essential changes in these principles, and many fessor Heisenberg's leading place in the development of new experiments have confirmed important consequences the new quantum mechanics is well recognized by those of the theory (for example, the Raman effect). But even who have been following its growth. It was in fact he who today the physicist more often has a kind of faith in the first saw clearly that in the older forms of quantum theory we were describing our spectra in terms of atomic mecha- correctness of the new principles than a clear understa- nisms regarding which we could gain no definite knowl- ing of them.For this reason the publication of these C- cago lectures in the form of a small book seems justified. edge, anq who first found a way to interpret (or at least describe) spectroscopic phenomena without assuming Since the formal mathematical apparatus of the quan- the existence of such atomic mechanisms.

Werner Heisenberg is one of the greatest scientists of our century. His work extends over a period of fifty years, ranging from turbulence theory, the establishment of quantum mechanics, its fundamental applications in atomic and solid state physics, to the theory of cosmic ray phenomena and of elementary particles. He recognized early the epistemological significance of the new discoveries. He was able to place the radical changes in the foundation of physics of this century in the historical context of natural philosophy. His thoughts on language as the medium to grasp scientific truth, artistic truth, religious truth, truth in general, reached many auditors and readers, scientists as well as non-scientists. In the 75 years of his life the political and social structure of his home country, of Europe and the world over underwent drastic changes.He grew up in Imperial Germany, made his great contributions to quantum mechanics during the period of the Weimar Republic and was engaged in nuclear physics when the potentates of the Third Reich tried to discredit relativity and quantum theory as "degenerate" science; in World War II he participated in the German effort to develop a nuclear reactor. After the war, he devoted himself mainly to the physics of elementary particles. In addition, he acted in many official capacities: for the promotion of research, the reconstruction of science in the Federal Republic of Germany, and the advancement of international collabora- tion.

This is the final volume of Heisenberg's Collected Works. Itcontains his papers on a (nonlinear) unified theory ofelementary particles, as well as his contribution tosuperconductivity and multiparticle production. Especiallyinteresting is the first group of papers, which is splitintotwo sections dealing with, firstly, the formulation ofthe famous nonlinear spinor equation and, secondly,itsapplications. Among others the reader willfind a thoroughdiscussion of Heisenberg's collaboration with W. Pauli onthese matters. Illuminating annotations to the varioussections in this volume have been provided by H. Koppe, R.Hagedorn and the editors.