Einstein Classical Program Revived

Abstract

The Einstein Classical Program is well known: to prove that, at least in the domain of atomic physics, quantum mechanics can be recovered from a theory presenting some “realistic character’’. Here we address an extreme form of the program in which the realistic theory is just classical electrodynamics of point charges, and give concrete examples in which typical “quantum phenomena’’ are explained. Namely, spectral lines (in the case of ionic crystals) and chemical bond (in the case of the H2+ ion of the Hydrogen molecule). Additionally, an explanation is given of a phenomenon (existence of polaritons in ionic crystals), for which a quantum explanation is still lacking. Concerning the general objection that a classical theory would be impossible because of radiative collapse (radiation emission by accelerated charges), we illustrate how it is removed for charges in a medium, in virtue of the Wheeler-Feynman cancellation. The impact of such results for the general reductionistic program is also commented.