Initiative for Philosophy and Foundations of Physics and Chemistry

Initiative PFPC

Grupo de Filosofía de la Ciencias

GFC

FFyL - FCEyN - UBA

Research Group of the Project

Three Philosophical Problems in the Foundations of Physics:

Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Irreversibility, and Interdisciplinary Relations

The working group is composed of an interdisciplinary team dedicated to the study of ontology in physics and chemistry, and to the intertheoretical relationships between the theories of these disciplines.

Project Summary:
This project is situated within the domain of the connections between general philosophy of science and the philosophies of particular sciences. Its overall objective is to address the problem of the ontology of quantum mechanics from a perspective that allows simultaneous engagement with various issues and clarifies its links with other theoretical domains. To this end, the project will build upon previous developments: the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation (MHI), the closed systems perspective in quantum mechanics, the ontological pluralism of O. Lombardi and A. R. Pérez Ransanz, and the general framework for decoherence. The work will be organized around three modules, each with its general and specific objectives:

1. Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics:
   The general objective is to develop an interpretation that yields a quantum ontology capable of addressing the problems of contextuality, non-locality, and indistinguishability. To this end, a modal mereological logic will be formulated to describe an ontology of properties without individuals, the scope of the interpretation will be expanded, and it will be used to define physical time as an emergent relational magnitude.

2. Irreversible Phenomena in Quantum Mechanics:
   The general objective is to elaborate a conceptual framework that unifies the description of various irreversible phenomena occurring in the quantum domain using a formalism based on non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. In particular, its application to concrete cases will be studied, its relation to the arrow of time will be analyzed, and, from a logical-mathematical perspective, the algebraic description will be incorporated to advance toward conceptual unification with the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation.

3. Relations between Quantum Mechanics and Chemistry:
   The general objective is to characterize the relationship between chemistry and quantum mechanics from a non-reductive perspective, progressing toward the development of an independent ontology for quantum chemistry. In this module, the reductive description will be critically examined based on the incompatibility between theories arising from the use of approximations, also questioning the role of the Hohenberg-Kohn theorems. From a pluralist perspective, the ontological status of chemical entities will be established.

Activities will be organized so that the three modules are developed in parallel, with researchers dedicated to each of them. The goal is to converge, during the third year, on a comparison of the results obtained across the three modules..

Team members

Dr. Sebastian Fortin: Bachelor’s and PhD in Physical Sciences, PhD in History and Philosophy of Science. Independent Researcher at CONICET. He contributes to the research with his expertise in the philosophy of physics and chemistry, and coordinates the work across all three modules. In particular, he is the co-author, together with Olimpia Lombardi and Mario Castagnino, of the General Framework for Decoherence and has formulated the initial steps toward reconciling this framework with the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation.

Dra. Olimpia Lombardi: Electronic Engineer, Bachelor’s and PhD in Philosophy. Senior Researcher at CONICET. She contributes to the research with her expertise in the philosophy of physics and coordinates the work across all three modules. In particular, she is the author, together with Mario Castagnino, of the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation of quantum mechanics, and has formulated and developed the idea of a modal ontology of properties for the theory.

Dr. Marcelo Losada: Bachelor’s and PhD in Physical Sciences, Assistant Researcher at CONICET. He specializes in quantum measurement problems and in temporally asymmetric quantum theories.

Dr. Cesar Massri: Bachelor’s and PhD in Physical Sciences. Associate Researcher at CONICET. He contributes to the research with the mathematical expertise necessary for the formalization of ideas on irreversibility and the interpretation of probability in modal terms. He has published work on the algebraic approach to quantum probabilities, the study of quantum entanglement, and issues of contextuality.

Dr. Juan Camilo Martínez González: Bachelor’s in Chemistry, PhD in History and Philosophy of Science under the co-supervision of Olimpia Lombardi, Assistant Researcher at CONICET. He has published, together with several members of the group, on the philosophy of chemistry, both on the development of a chemistry-specific ontology and on its relation to physical ontology.

Lic. Jesús Alberto Jaimes Arriaga: Bachelor’s and Master’s in Chemical Sciences, currently completing his PhD in Philosophy under the supervision of Sebastian Fortin and co-supervision of Olimpia Lombardi. He is currently a CONICET Latin American Fellow. His doctoral thesis focuses on studying the role of Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules in the intertheoretical relations between chemistry and physics.

Prof. Hernán Accorinti: University Professor of Philosophy, currently pursuing his PhD in Philosophy under the supervision of Olimpia Lombardi and co-supervision of Sebastian Fortin. He is currently a CONICET Doctoral Fellow. His doctoral research focuses on different approaches to models in the empirical sciences, with special application to physics and chemistry. He has published, together with several members of the group, on the approaches used in quantum chemistry and on the ontological status of phonons.

Mag. Manuel Herrera: Bachelor’s in Engineering Sciences and Master’s in Philosophy of Science, currently pursuing his PhD in Philosophy under the supervision of Olimpia Lombardi and co-supervision of Sebastian Fortin. His doctoral research focuses on the role of conservation theorems in the conception of causality. He has published, together with other members of the group, on the ontological status of phonons.

Lic. Ignacio Rojas: Bachelor’s in Philosophy, currently pursuing his PhD in Philosophy under the supervision of Sebastian Fortin and co-supervision of Olimpia Lombardi. His doctoral research focuses on the study of quantum ontology from an ontic structural realist perspective and the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation.

Lic. Matías Pasqualini: Lic. Matías Pasqualini: Bachelor’s in Philosophy and University Master’s in Secondary Education Teacher Training, currently pursuing his PhD in Philosophy under the supervision of Sebastian Fortin and co-supervision of Olimpia Lombardi. He is currently a CONICET Doctoral Fellow. His doctoral research focuses on the extension of the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation to quantum field theory. He is currently co-authoring a paper on time in quantum mechanics with Sebastian Fortin.

Initiative for Philosophy and Foundations of Physics and Chemistry, Argentina