Falling Cats, Parallel Parking, and Polarized Light

Batterman, Robert (2002) Falling Cats, Parallel Parking, and Polarized Light.

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Abstract

This paper addresses issues surrounding the concept of geometric phase or "anholonomy". Certain physical phenomena apparently require for their explanation and understanding, reference to toplogocial/geometric features of some abstract space of parameters. These issues are related to the question of how gauge structures are to be interpreted and whether or not the debate over their "reality" is really going to be fruitful.

Keywords:geometric phase, Berry phase, Aharonov-Bohm effect, gauge theory, fiber bundles, monopoles, polarized light
Subjects:Specific Sciences: Physics: Classical Physics
Specific Sciences: Physics: Fields and Particles
Specific Sciences: Physics
ID Code:794
Deposited By:Batterman, Robert
Deposited On:09 September 2002