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1975

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December

  

Methodological notes


The exclusion principle and indistinguishability of identical particles in quantum mechanics

The connection between the exclusion principle and the principle of indistinguishability of identical particles in quantum mechanics is discussed. It is shown with the aid of a density matrix defined for states with arbitrary permutation symmetry that the particles are indistinguishable only for one-dimensional representations of the permutation group (symmetrical and antisymmetrycal), and are distinguishable in all the states that are degenerate in the permutations. It is demonstrated by the same token that the exclusion principle follows from the principle of indistinguishability of identical particles and the Pauli theorem on the connection between spin and statistics.

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Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU1975v018n12ABEH005246
PACS: 03.60.+f
DOI: 10.1070/PU1975v018n12ABEH005246
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1975/12/d/
Citation: Kaplan I G "The exclusion principle and indistinguishability of identical particles in quantum mechanics" Sov. Phys. Usp. 18 988–994 (1975)
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Оригинал: Каплан И Г «Принцип запрета и неразличимость тождественных частиц в квантовой механике» УФН 117 691–704 (1975); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0117.197512d.0691

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