bases conceptuales e históricas de la dinámica cristalina

Abstract

Many years have now passed since quantum mechanics (QM) was originally developed, providing a complete theoretical background for physics and chemistry. The probabilistic nature of QM has been confirmed in innumerable ways and its understanding means that the behavior of a quantum system, namely an atom, molecule or crystal, can be understood. The probabilistic nature of QM is emerging from the measurement process. Hence X-ray difraction and Raman scattering can be both explained as special cases of the interaction between a quantum system and a measuring instrument. The world of quantum wave-particles behaves as QM says is does. Then quantum mechanical reality is not less real than the world as described by Newton's principia. In fact, the classical world is only a small part of what there exists in Universe. Each quantum system is characterized by a set of observables but this set, contrary to what is assumed in classical physics, is always a small subset ot he all observables that can be measured on the system. Hence a quantum system can only be described in terms of statistics. There is a close parallelism between the pysical and chemical phenomena in minerals and those observed in crystals made by man. Modern mineralogy has certainly picked up many essential ideas from quantum solid state physics and it seems clear that a closed cooperation between the two fileds could lead to a great deal of mutual inspiration and benefit. In this paper, attention is paid to the relationship between QM and the dynamical theory of solids. In a second related paper, the quantum solid state approach here discused should be extended to the study of the anharmonic properties of minerals. The coefficient of thermal expansion, the thermal resistivity the comprenssbility and the Grüneisen parameter are important examples of such properties. In a third last paper, attention will be paid to the interpretation of colors centers in minerals: another important and very active field in which QM can not be, by no means, omited