Quantum Mechanics Software Edwin F. Taylor Version of July 2000 The most recent versions are available at http://www.eftaylor.com/ These instructions concern the software for Mac or Windows. NOTE 1: See a warning about software behavior at the end of these instructions. NOTE 2: To run this software you need to use a separate program called the cT Executor (Mac name) or cT_Executor.exe (Windows name) that is included with these files. The cleanest way to start any program is to drag the icon for the program on top of the icon for the Executor. *************************************************************** ABOUT THE SOFTWARE The software consists of the following programs. The names of the files may vary from the ones given here. "QED" below refers to the book *QED, The Strange Theory of Light and Matter* by Richard P. Feynman (Princeton University Press, 1985, ISBN 0-691-02417-0). 1. REFLECT, simulating experiments described in QED pages 16 - 35 and 59 - 72. 2. ONEPARTICLE, simulating experiments with the photon described in QED, pages 38 - 56, and for the electron in our later study; 3. ACTION, applying the Principle of Least Action (a simple way to do Newtonian mechanics) to both large-scale and microscopic scale. 4. WAVEFCN, showing how the idea of wave function springs from the Many Paths Theory. 5. FINDPROP, helping you to find a powerful tool, called the propagator, that moves a wavefunction forward in time. 6. SHO, helping you to explore particles trapped in a binding potential. 7. cT Executor, described in NOTE 2 above. 8. Font folder for Windows (not needed for Macintosh) INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE Drag all files into a single folder on your hard disk. If the files are in a self-expanding archive, then double-click on that archive. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR WINDOWS You do not need to install the fonts in the fonts folder included with the software files. The Executor will find these fonts if the fonts folder is in the same folder as the programs. RUNNING THE PROGRAM (MAC OR WINDOWS) Start a program by DRAGGING the icon for the program on top of the Executor icon. You can also double-click the program icon, and that will probably work. (On Windows, you may be asked to specify a program. Choose cT_Executor.exe, and thereafter double-clicking will invoke the Executor.) QUIT any program using the QUIT command under the Options menu at the top left of the screen. COLORS The programs ONEPARTICLE, ONEPROP, and SHO make extensive use of colors. These programs work best if you go to the Control Panel for your Monitor (on Windows it is called Display) and change the color setting to any value equal to or more than 256 colors. WARNING: This draft software has the following "bug:" Suppose you are building a display and click on the window of another application (such as a word processor), or you stop to think for a minute (horrors!) and the screen saver comes on. Then when you click again on the window of the software application, it will start at an earlier frame, usually erasing what you have recently constructed. We are working on this. (The new OneParticle program is supposed to be free of this bug.) In the meantime, turn off any screen saver and stay with your single display until you have completed your construction. *************************************************************** END ***************************************************************