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arXiv:2405.19254 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Causal fermion systems as an effective collapse theory

Felix Finster, Johannes Kleiner, Claudio F. Paganini

Published Sep 2, 2024• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract It is shown that, in the non-relativistic limit, causal fermion systems give rise to an effective collapse theory. The nonlinear and stochastic correction terms to the Schrödinger equation are derived from the causal action principle. The dynamics of the statistical operator is described by a deterministic equation of Kossakowski–Lindblad form. Moreover, the quantum state undergoes a dynamical collapse compatible with the Born rule. The effective model has similarities with the continuous spontaneous localization model, but differs from it by a conservation law for the probability integral as well as a non-locality in time on a microscopic length scale ℓ min .

DOI
10.1088/1751-8121/ad7655

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Abstract It is shown that, in the non-relativistic limit, causal fermion systems give rise to an effective collapse theory. The nonlinear and stochastic correction terms to the Schrödinger equation are derived from the causal action principle. The dynamics of the statistical operator is described by a deterministic equation of Kossakowski–Lindblad form. Moreover, the quantum state undergoes a dynamical collapse compatible with the Born rule. The effective model has similarities with the continuous spontaneous localization model, but differs from it by a conservation law for the probability integral as well as a non-locality in time on a microscopic length scale ℓ min .
Abstract We develop a quantum field theory based on random nonHermitian actions, which upon quantization lead to stochastic nonlinear Schrödinger dynamics for the state vector. In this framework, Lorentz and spacetime translation symmetries are preserved only in a statistical sense: the probability distribution of the action remains invariant under these transformations. As a result, the theory describes ensembles of quantum-state trajectories whose probability distributions remain invariant under changes of reference frame. As a concrete example, we augment the Dirac action with a purely imaginary term coupling the fermion density operator to a universal colored noise. This noise is constructed by solving the d’Alembert equation with white noise as its source, using a generalized stochastic calculus in 1+3 dimensions. We demonstrate that the colored noise drives stochastic localization of wave packets and derive the localization length analytically. Remarkably, the localization length decreases as the size of the observable universe increases. Our model thus provides a potential framework for relativistic spontaneous wave-function collapse. While establishing consistency with Born’s law remains an open challenge, the present work constitutes a step toward embedding collapse models into a Lorentz-invariant quantum field theory.
A relativistic collapse model for distinguishable particles is presented. Position and time, for each particle, are the fundamental operators of the theory. The Schrödinger equation is of the continuous spontaneous localization form, with a Hermitian Hamiltonian and an anti-Hermitian, white-noise dependent, Hamiltonian. It generates state vector evolution parametrized by an “evolution parameter.” It is shown how this can be interpreted as an evolving state in spacetime with collapses satisfying Born rule probabilities, and how certain choices of collapse generating operators lead to states of definite mass and definite configuration in spacetime. The model is Poincaré covariant and conserves energy in expectation.
Abstract This study expands the spontaneous collapse assumptions into the relativistic quantum field theory framework for Dirac fields. By solving Lindblad’s master equation using the Keldysh formalism, the effective action is derived, which captures the dynamics of fermions with spontaneous collapse represented as an imaginary self-interaction term. Utilizing the corresponding Dyson–Schwinger equations at 1-loop approximation, the effective mass induced by the nonlinearity is computed. The findings indicate the presence of a new mechanism that introduces a qualitative change in the mass spectrum, where the particle’s mass becomes complex. Based on the stability of the proton, new bounds on the parameters are found. This mechanism also generates a Lorentz invariance violation in the infrared regime and recovers the Lorentz invariance in the ultraviolet regime. The corresponding hydrodynamics of the system is analyzed through the Keldysh component of the propagator, and a conserved charge is found. In contrast, the energy–momentum tensor is shown to be non-conserving. This phenomenon represents a new contribution to the understanding of the spontaneous collapse and the transition from quantum to the classical realm.
Spontaneous collapse models provide a possible solution to the measurement problem by modifying standard quantum dynamics. The modification consists of adding non-linear and stochastic terms inducing wavefunction collapse in space. Non-Markovian versions of these models are motivated by physical reasons, phenomenological consistency, and potential for relativistic extensions. Here, we investigate a non-Markovian version of the Poissonian Spontaneous Localization (PSL) model, i.e., a model characterized by instantaneous and localized collapse events. We assume that our model is characterized by a typical time scale τCτ_CτC​ so that, given an initial state ρ0ρ_0ρ0​ of standard quantum matter at time t=0t=0t=0, we derive an effective long-time (t≫τCt\gg τ_Ct≫τC​) statistical dynamics in terms of a CPTP map ΦtΦ_tΦt​. We then show how ΦtΦ_tΦt​ can be made equal to that obtained by non-Markovian CSL models. Moreover, given ΦtΦ_tΦt​, we obtain the associated time-convolutionless master equation by means of a supercumulant expansion. Finally, we characterize the collapse events process (for events with t≫τCt \gg τ_Ct≫τC​) given an initial quantum state ρ0ρ_0ρ0​ at t=0t=0t=0.
A natural generalization of the CSL (Continuous Spontaneous Localization) theory of dynamical collapse is applied to a relativistic quantum scalar field ϕ(x,t)ϕ({\bf x},t)ϕ(x,t). It is shown that the modified Schrödinger equation is relativistically invariant, that the probabilities associated to all possible values of the classical scalar random field w(x,t)w({\bf x},t)w(x,t) (which determines the eventual state of collapse) add up to 1, that there is no energy production out of the vacuum and, in the limit of large time, the collapse is toward eigenstates of ϕ(x,0)ϕ({\bf x},0)ϕ(x,0).