Is it possible to offer a "no drama" quantum theory? Something as simple (in principle) as classical electrodynamics - a theory described by a system of partial differential equations in 3+1 dimensions, but reproducing unitary evolution of a quantum field theory in the configuration space? The following results suggest an affirmative answer: 1. The scalar field can be algebraically eliminated from scalar electrodynamics; the resulting equations describe independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. 2. After introduction of a complex 4-potential (producing the same electromagnetic field as the standard real 4-potential), the spinor field can be algebraically eliminated from spinor electrodynamics; the resulting equations describe independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. 3. The resulting theories for the electromagnetic field can be embedded into quantum field theories. Another fundamental result: in a general case, the Dirac equation is equivalent to a 4th order partial differential equations for just one component, which can be made real by a gauge transform. Issues related to the Bell theorem are discussed.
Is it possible to offer a "no drama" quantum theory? Something as simple (in principle) as classical electrodynamics - a theory described by a system of partial differential equations in 3+1 dimensions, but reproducing unitary evolution of a quantum field theory in the configuration space? The following results suggest an affirmative answer: 1. The scalar field can be algebraically eliminated from scalar electrodynamics; the resulting equations describe independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. 2. After introduction of a complex 4-potential (producing the same electromagnetic field as the standard real 4-potential), the spinor field can be algebraically eliminated from spinor electrodynamics; the resulting equations describe independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. 3. The resulting theories for the electromagnetic field can be embedded into quantum field theories. Another fundamental result: in a general case, the Dirac equation is equivalent to a 4th order partial differential equations for just one component, which can be made real by a gauge transform. Issues related to the Bell theorem are discussed.
This article builds on recent work (Akhmeteli in Int. J. Quantum Inf. 9(Supp01):17, 2011 ; J. Math. Phys. 52:082303, 2011 ), providing a theory that is based on spinor electrodynamics, is described by a system of partial differential equations in 3+1 dimensions, but reproduces unitary evolution of a quantum field theory in the Fock space. To this end, after introduction of a complex four-potential of electromagnetic field, which generates the same electromagnetic fields as the initial real four-potential, the spinor field is algebraically eliminated from the equations of spinor electrodynamics. It is proven that the resulting equations for electromagnetic field describe independent evolution of the latter and can be embedded into a quantum field theory using a generalized Carleman linearization procedure. The theory provides a simple and at least reasonably realistic model, valuable for interpretation of quantum theory. The issues related to the Bell theorem are discussed.
This work builds on the following result of a previous article (quant-ph/0509044): the matter field can be naturally eliminated from the equations of the scalar electrodynamics (the Klein-Gordon-Maxwell electrodynamics) in the unitary gauge. The resulting equations describe independent dynamics of the electromagnetic field (they form a closed system of partial differential equations). An improved derivation of this surprising result is offered in the current work. It is also shown that for this system of equations, a generalized Carleman linearization (Carleman embedding) procedure generates a system of linear equations in the Hilbert space, which looks like a second-quantized theory and is equivalent to the original nonlinear system on the set of solutions of the latter. Thus, the relevant local realistic model can be embedded into a quantum field theory. This model is equivalent to a well-established model - the scalar electrodynamics, so it correctly describes a large body of experimental data. Although it does not describe the electronic spin and possibly some other experimental facts, it may be of great interest as a "no drama quantum theory", as simple (in principle) as classical electrodynamics. Possible issues with the Bell theorem are discussed.
The article contains a review and new results of some mathematical models relevant to the interpretation of quantum mechanics and emulating well-known quantum gauge theories, such as scalar electrodynamics (Klein–Gordon–Maxwell electrodynamics), spinor electrodynamics (Dirac–Maxwell electrodynamics), etc. In these models, evolution is typically described by modified Maxwell equations. In the case of scalar electrodynamics, the scalar complex wave function can be made real by a gauge transformation, the wave function can be algebraically eliminated from the equations of scalar electrodynamics, and the resulting modified Maxwell equations describe the independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. Similar results were obtained for spinor electrodynamics. Three out of four components of the Dirac spinor can be algebraically eliminated from the Dirac equation, and the remaining component can be made real by a gauge transformation. A similar result was obtained for the Dirac equation in the Yang–Mills field. As quantum gauge theories play a central role in modern physics, the approach of this article may be sufficiently general. One-particle wave functions can be modeled as plasma-like collections of a large number of particles and antiparticles. This seems to enable the simulation of quantum phase-space distribution functions, such as the Wigner distribution function, which are not necessarily non-negative.
Three out of four complex components of the Dirac spinor can be algebraically eliminated from the Dirac equation (if some linear combination of electromagnetic fields does not vanish), yielding a partial differential equation of the fourth order for the remaining complex component. This equation is generally equivalent to the Dirac equation. Furthermore, following Schrödinger [Nature (London), 169, 538 (1952)], the remaining component can be made real by a gauge transform, thus extending to the Dirac field the Schrödinger conclusion that charged fields do not necessarily require complex representation. One of the two resulting real equations for the real function describes current conservation and can be obtained from the Maxwell equations in spinor electrodynamics (the Dirac-Maxwell electrodynamics). As the Dirac equation is one of the most fundamental equations, these results both belong in textbooks and can be used for development of new efficient methods and algorithms of quantum chemistry.
In the first part of this work (http://www.arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0509044), it was shown that the Klein-Gordon-Maxwell electrodynamics in the unitary gauge allows natural elimination of the particle wave function and describes independent evolution of the electromagnetic field. Therefore, the electromagnetic field can be regarded as the guiding field in the Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics. An extension of those results to the Dirac-Maxwell electrodynamics was less general, but represented at least an interesting toy model of quantum theory. Another model based on the Dirac-Maxwell electrodynamics is considered in this work. The model also typically allows elimination of the wave function and describes independent evolution of the electromagnetic field.
We investigate whether the spinor field can be differential-algebraically eliminated from the Maxwell--Dirac equations in a particular gauge. To this end, we construct a generic truncated power-series solution and linearize the prolonged system of the Maxwell--Dirac equations about this solution. We then analyze the ranks of the coefficient matrices associated with the linearized system. Our results indicate that, generically, the spinor components are uniquely determined by the electromagnetic field and its derivatives. Furthermore, the fourth-order time derivatives of the components of the electromagnetic four-potential are uniquely determined by derivatives of the lower order with respect to time. These findings strongly suggest that the spinor field can be differential-algebraically eliminated, and the resulting equations describe independent evolution of the electromagnetic field, i.e., a Cauchy problem can be formulated in terms of the electromagnetic variables alone.