Irreversibility and Collapse Models

Karl Raimund Popper

Brian J Davies

The Collapse of Time explores a foundational reversal in quantum theory, proposing that time emerges from the process of wavefunction collapse rather than acting as a pre-existing background. Probability is treated as quantum possibility that becomes classical reality through irreversible collapse events. In contrast to gravity-induced collapse models, this framework examines whether collapse itself may generate temporal structure and gravitational imprinting. The work complements geometric collapse approaches by reframing the quantum-to-classical transition as the physical origin of time, causality, and classical structure. This paper is intended as a conceptual exploration. For the complete formal geometric framework, please use the link below..

Jincheng Zhang

Quantum state collapse is a fundamental process in quantum mechanics, representing the irreversible transition from a superposition of states to a definite state. This paper explores a novel model for this dynamic process, incorporating the observer's influence and the environment, aiming to quantify the 'scale-invariant' nature of collapse. We propose a method to analyze and predict collapse probabilities across various scales, offering a significant advancement beyond traditional collapse models. The core mechanism involves a dynamic state evolution equation that accounts for both the quantum system's inherent properties and external perturbations. This approach offers a pathway towards more robust and predictable quantum computations.

Richard Schlegel

Abderrahim Lyoubi-Idrissi

The collapse of the wave function remains one of the deepest puzzles in quantum mechanics. The Schrödinger equation is unitary and time-reversal symmetric, yet measurement requires an additional postulate that is neither—and we have no physical explanation for why. Existing interpretations either deny that collapse is real (Many-Worlds), treat it as purely subjective (QBism), or add stochastic noise by hand without deriving it from fundamental principles (GRW, CSL). We demonstrate that collapse is a real physical process requiring fundamentally irreversible dynamics. No purely unitary, time-symmetric theory can account for the objective suppression of macroscopic superpositions—irreversibility must be built into the dynamics from the start. We introduce a minimal extension of quantum mechanics through coupling to a universal scalar field (the I-field) governed by an explicit time-asymmetric field equation. Collapse emerges objectively through deterministic dissipative dynamics, with no reference to observers, measurement devices, or stochastic noise. By integrating out the I-field degrees of freedom, we derive effective Lindblad dynamics for quantum systems. The collapse rate scales quadratically with system mass, ensuring microscopic quantum coherence remains intact while macroscopic superpositions are dynamically suppressed. Unlike stochastic collapse models (GRW/CSL), the mechanism is deterministic and produces no spontaneous heating. Unlike gravitational collapse proposals (Diósi-Penrose), it provides explicit field equations rather than heuristic arguments. Unlike environmental decoherence, the irreversibility is fundamental rather than effective. The theory respects relativistic causality and makes testable predictions for current and near-future experiments in matter-wave interferometry, optomechanical systems, and molecular interferometry. Observation of mass-dependent decoherence without accompanying stochastic heating would provide strong evidence for the I-field mechanism. The framework establishes irreversibility as a fundamental interaction rather than an emergent phenomenon, providing a unified physical origin for both wave function collapse and the quantum arrow of time.

Ronald Larson