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Dirac

Dirac

2 8.1
An English physicist who helped develop quantum theory and predicted antimatter
  • proper noun
  • /dɪˈræk/
: Dirac
  • Early last century, Paul Dirac found symmetric solutions to the equations of quantum theory.
  • Paul Dirac
  • Dirac predicted
  • Dirac theory

This notation was the idea of Paul Dirac, and it's called the bra cat notation.

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Examples

  • Monopoles are an inevitable prediction of GUTs, and indeed, it was British mathematician Paul Dirac who first predicted the possible existence of monopoles.

    Academic text (2005)
  • First, in 1927, Paul Dirac developed a version of QED in which both electrons and photons are treated as particles.

    Academic text (2005)
  • But all that Dirac taught us is that antiparticles exist.

  • Indeed, in the same paper, Dirac predicted the existence of the antiproton, which would not be seen for another 24 years.

    Academic text (2012)
  • This confused scientists for years until Paul Dirac combined Einstein's special relativity with quantum mechanics.

  • Following his equations to their logical conclusion, Dirac also predicted that, for each elementary particle, there exists a corresponding antiparticle.

    Academic text (2005)
  • In 1931, Dirac definitively predicted such "anti-electrons," which would mutually annihilate with ordinary electrons.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The concept of antimatter had its beginnings in physicist Paul Dirac's bridging of quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Paul Dirac made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics.

  • The Dirac equation is essential for understanding the behavior of antimatter.

Compounds

1 9.9

A way to describe particles like electrons that cannot share the same energy state

Surface Forms

Dirac main

Etymology

Dirac is the family name of the English physicist Paul Dirac, who did key work in quantum physics and even predicted 'antimatter'. A helpful way to remember Dirac is to think of him as someone who 'directed' new ideas into physics, so when you see Dirac it points to his famous equations and discoveries.