ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FACT THAT ATOMIC LEVELS HAVE A CERTAIN WIDTH

Abstract

This note presents two ideas. The first one is that quantum theory has a fundamentally perturbative basis but leads to nonperturbative states which it would seem natural to take into account in the foundation of a theory of quantum phenomena. The second one is that a nonperturbative approach then makes the validity of the present notion of time questionable. Both matters concern the matter–radiation mixing and are related to the fact that atomic levels have a certain width. This note is presented qualitatively so as to evidence its main points, independently of the models on which the first idea has been tested.