DOC. 22 SOLVAY DISCUSSION REMARKS 265
Transcribed
from
PSSC,
pp.
124-125
(Laue et al. 1921,
p.
105).
There
are
serious
objections against
the
assumption
of
a
zero-point
energy
consisting
in elastic oscillations. For if
the
(thermal) energy
of elastic oscillations does
not
sink
to
zero,
but
only
to
a
finite
positive
value,
when the
temperature
is
sinking,
then
one
has
to
expect
that all
temperature-dependent properties
of solid bodies
must
behave
in
an
analogous
manner, i.e.,
approach
constant
finite values
at
low
temperature.
But
this conflicts with
Kamerlingh-Onnes's important discovery, according
to
which
pure
metals become
"supraconductors" as they approach
absolute
zero.
No.
88
and 90
(PSSC,
p.
127;
Laue
et
al.
1921,
p. 108)
If
we
want to
introduce
a zero-point energy
in Planck's
sense, then,
in
my opinion,
we
must not
dispute
the idea that it consists in
motions, i.e., particularly here,
in
elastic oscillations in
Debye's sense.
This makes
it
more
unavoidable for
us
to
ascribe
to
this
energy
an
influence
on
the
intensity
of Laue's interference
points.
I
must
also
note
on
this occasion that
I
no
longer
consider the
arguments
for the
existence of
zero-point
energy
that
I
and Mr. Stern
put
forward
to
be
correct.
Further
pursuit
of the
arguments
that
we
used in the derivation
of
Planck's radiation law
showed that this
road,
based
on
the
hypothesis
of
zero-point energy,
leads
to
contradictions.
No. 93
(PSSC,
p.
128;
Laue
et
al.
1921, p.
108)
(Answer to
Nernst's question).-
Needless to
say, I
must take the view that the
arguments
that led to the
hydrogen
formula also lose their
basis
thereby.
III.
Bragg
In his lecture
(Bragg 1921),
William
H.
Bragg
discussed
a
method for
determining
the
frequencies
of
X–
rays
with the
help
of
X-ray
diffraction
in
crystals.
In
a long
discussion
remark,
Ernest Rutherford described
his
experiments investigating
the
nature
of
y-rays
observed in radioactive
decay
with the
help
of similar
diffraction
techniques.
He
speculated
that the
y-rays were actually generated by
the
ß-particles
that
are
emitted
during
radiactive
decay.
Einstein's
comment is
a reply
to
Rutherford's contribution.
No.
150
(PSSC,
p. 160;
Bragg
et al.
1921,
p. 138)
One could
apply
the
quantum hypothesis
to
the
case
of radioactive reactions in order