The discipline of astrophysics would be inconceivable without an understanding of quantum mechanical processes. In stars, quantum mechanical tunneling affects the fusion of atomic nuclei. The Pauli exclusion principle explains the origins and development of white dwarves and neutron stars as residual star cores. Even Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is needed to understand the quantum mechanical fluctuations of a vacuum, without which there would be no galaxies. Moreover, the nature of electromagnetic radiation, its origins in atoms and molecules, would be incomprehensible without quantum mechanics – as would cosmological radiation.
A lecture by Professor Harald Lesch (LMU)
This event is part of the Modern physics lecture series – just one of the offerings presented by the Faculty of Physics to mark the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
For more information, please visit the Faculty of Physics website.