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Relativistic state reduction model

Daniel Bedingham

Published Jan 1, 2011• 20 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In order to address the measurement problem of quantum theory we make the assumption that quantum state reduction should be regarded as a genuine physical process deserving of a dynamical description. Generalizing the nonrelativistic spontaneous localization models of Ghirardi, Rimini, Weber, and Pearle, a relativistic state reduction mechanism is proposed. The mechanism involves nonlinear stochastic modifications to the standard description of unitary state evolution and the introduction of a mediating field to facilitate smearing of quantum field interactions.

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Relativistic state reduction model

Daniel Bedingham

In order to address the measurement problem of quantum theory we make the assumption that quantum state reduction should be regarded as a genuine physical process deserving of a dynamical description. Generalizing the nonrelativistic spontaneous localization models of Ghirardi, Rimini, Weber, and Pearle, a relativistic state reduction mechanism is proposed. The mechanism involves nonlinear stochastic modifications to the standard description of unitary state evolution and the introduction of a mediating field to facilitate smearing of quantum field interactions.

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One way of obtaining a version of quantum mechanics without observers, and thus of solving the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, is to modify the Schrödinger evolution by implementing spontaneous collapses of the wave function. An explicit model of this kind was proposed in 1986 by Ghirardi, Rimini & Weber (GRW), involving a nonlinear, stochastic evolution of the wave function. We point out how, by focusing on the essential mathematical structure of the GRW model and a clear ontology, it can be generalized to (regularized) quantum field theories in a simple and natural way.

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A model of state reduction in relativistic quantum field theory involving a nonlinear stochastic extension of Schrödinger's equation is outlined. The eigenstates of the annihilation operator are chosen as the preferred basis onto which reduction occurs. These are the coherent states which saturate the bound of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, exhibiting classical-like behaviour. The quantum harmonic oscillator is studied in detail before generalizing to relativistic scalar quantum field theory. The infinite rates of increase in energy density which have plagued recent relativistic proposals of dynamical state reduction are absent in this model. This is because the state evolution equation does not drive particle creation from the vacuum. The model requires the specification of a preferred sequence of space-like hyper-surfaces supporting the time-like state evolution. However, it is shown that the choice of preferred surfaces has no effect on perturbative results to second order in the coupling parameter. It is demonstrated how state reduction to a charge density basis can be induced in fermionic matter via an appropriate coupling to a bosonic field undergoing this mechanism.

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Stochastic particle annihilation: a relativistic model of quantum state reduction

Daniel Bedingham

A relativistic model of quantum state reduction involving a nonlinear stochastic extension of Schr\\"odinger's equation is outlined. The eigenstates of the annihilation operator are chosen as the preferred basis onto which reduction occurs. These are the coherent states which saturate the bound of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, exhibiting classical-like behavior. The quantum harmonic oscillator is studied in detail before generalizing to relativistic scalar quantum field theory. The infinite rates of increase in energy density which have plagued recent relativistic proposals of dynamical state reduction are absent in this model. This is because the state evolution equation does not drive particle creation from the vacuum. It is demonstrated how state reduction to a charge density basis can be induced in fermionic matter via an appropriate coupling to a bosonic field undergoing this mechanism.

•Mar 1, 2007•0 citations

Dynamical Reduction Models

Angelo Bassi, GianCarlo Ghirardi

The report presents an exhaustive review of the recent attempt to overcome the difficulties that standard quantum mechanics meets in accounting for the measurement (or macro-objectification) problem, an attempt based on the consideration of nonlinear and stochastic modifications of the Schroedinger equation. The proposed new dynamics is characterized by the feature of not contradicting any known fact about microsystems and of accounting, on the basis of a unique, universal dynamical principle, for wavepacket reduction and for the classical behavior of macroscopic systems. We recall the motivations for the new approach and we briefly review the other proposals to circumvent the above mentioned difficulties which appeared in the literature. In this way we make clear the conceptual and historical context characterizing the new approach. After having reviewed the mathematical techniques (stochastic differential calculus) which are essential for the rigorous and precise formulation of the new dynamics, we discuss in great detail its implications and we stress its relevant conceptual achievements. The new proposal requires also to work out an appropriate interpretation; a procedure which leads us to a reconsideration of many important issues about the conceptual status of theories based on a genuinely Hilbert space description of natural processes. We also discuss the possibility and the problems one meets in trying to develop an analogous formalism for the relativistic case. Finally we discuss the experimental implications of the new dynamics for various physical processes which should allow, in principle, to test it against quantum mechanics.

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A Relativistic Version of the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber Model

Roderich Tumulka

Carrying out a research program outlined by John S. Bell in 1987, we arrive at a relativistic version of the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) model of spon-taneous wavefunction collapse. The GRW model was proposed as a solution of the measurement problem of quantum mechanics and involves a stochastic and nonlinear modification of the Schrödinger equation. It deviates very little from the Schrödinger equation for microscopic systems but efficiently suppresses, for macroscopic systems, superpositions of macroscopically different states. As sug-gested by Bell, we take the primitive ontology, or local beables, of our model to be a discrete set of space-time points, at which the collapses are centered. This set is random with distribution determined by the initial wavefunction. Our model is nonlocal and violates Bell’s inequality though it does not make use of a preferred slicing of space-time or any other sort of synchronization of spacelike separated points. Like the GRW model, it reproduces the quantum probabilities in all cases presently testable, though it entails deviations from the quantum formalism that are in principle testable. Our model works in Minkowski space-time as well as in (well-behaved) curved background space-times. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta; 03.65.Ud; 03.30.+p. Key words: spontaneous wave-function collapse; relativity; quantum theory without observers. 1

•Jan 1, 2004•233 citations
In order to address the measurement problem of quantum theory we make the assumption that quantum state reduction should be regarded as a genuine physical process deserving of a dynamical description. Generalizing the nonrelativistic spontaneous localization models of Ghirardi, Rimini, Weber, and Pearle, a relativistic state reduction mechanism is proposed. The mechanism involves nonlinear stochastic modifications to the standard description of unitary state evolution and the introduction of a mediating field to facilitate smearing of quantum field interactions.
In order to address the measurement problem of quantum theory we make the assumption that quantum state reduction should be regarded as a genuine physical process deserving of a dynamical description. Generalizing the nonrelativistic spontaneous localization models of Ghirardi, Rimini, Weber, and Pearle, a relativistic state reduction mechanism is proposed. The mechanism involves nonlinear stochastic modifications to the standard description of unitary state evolution and the introduction of a mediating field to facilitate smearing of quantum field interactions.
One way of obtaining a version of quantum mechanics without observers, and thus of solving the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, is to modify the Schrödinger evolution by implementing spontaneous collapses of the wave function. An explicit model of this kind was proposed in 1986 by Ghirardi, Rimini & Weber (GRW), involving a nonlinear, stochastic evolution of the wave function. We point out how, by focusing on the essential mathematical structure of the GRW model and a clear ontology, it can be generalized to (regularized) quantum field theories in a simple and natural way.
A model of state reduction in relativistic quantum field theory involving a nonlinear stochastic extension of Schrödinger's equation is outlined. The eigenstates of the annihilation operator are chosen as the preferred basis onto which reduction occurs. These are the coherent states which saturate the bound of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, exhibiting classical-like behaviour. The quantum harmonic oscillator is studied in detail before generalizing to relativistic scalar quantum field theory. The infinite rates of increase in energy density which have plagued recent relativistic proposals of dynamical state reduction are absent in this model. This is because the state evolution equation does not drive particle creation from the vacuum. The model requires the specification of a preferred sequence of space-like hyper-surfaces supporting the time-like state evolution. However, it is shown that the choice of preferred surfaces has no effect on perturbative results to second order in the coupling parameter. It is demonstrated how state reduction to a charge density basis can be induced in fermionic matter via an appropriate coupling to a bosonic field undergoing this mechanism.
A relativistic model of quantum state reduction involving a nonlinear stochastic extension of Schr\\"odinger's equation is outlined. The eigenstates of the annihilation operator are chosen as the preferred basis onto which reduction occurs. These are the coherent states which saturate the bound of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, exhibiting classical-like behavior. The quantum harmonic oscillator is studied in detail before generalizing to relativistic scalar quantum field theory. The infinite rates of increase in energy density which have plagued recent relativistic proposals of dynamical state reduction are absent in this model. This is because the state evolution equation does not drive particle creation from the vacuum. It is demonstrated how state reduction to a charge density basis can be induced in fermionic matter via an appropriate coupling to a bosonic field undergoing this mechanism.
The report presents an exhaustive review of the recent attempt to overcome the difficulties that standard quantum mechanics meets in accounting for the measurement (or macro-objectification) problem, an attempt based on the consideration of nonlinear and stochastic modifications of the Schroedinger equation. The proposed new dynamics is characterized by the feature of not contradicting any known fact about microsystems and of accounting, on the basis of a unique, universal dynamical principle, for wavepacket reduction and for the classical behavior of macroscopic systems. We recall the motivations for the new approach and we briefly review the other proposals to circumvent the above mentioned difficulties which appeared in the literature. In this way we make clear the conceptual and historical context characterizing the new approach. After having reviewed the mathematical techniques (stochastic differential calculus) which are essential for the rigorous and precise formulation of the new dynamics, we discuss in great detail its implications and we stress its relevant conceptual achievements. The new proposal requires also to work out an appropriate interpretation; a procedure which leads us to a reconsideration of many important issues about the conceptual status of theories based on a genuinely Hilbert space description of natural processes. We also discuss the possibility and the problems one meets in trying to develop an analogous formalism for the relativistic case. Finally we discuss the experimental implications of the new dynamics for various physical processes which should allow, in principle, to test it against quantum mechanics.
Carrying out a research program outlined by John S. Bell in 1987, we arrive at a relativistic version of the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) model of spon-taneous wavefunction collapse. The GRW model was proposed as a solution of the measurement problem of quantum mechanics and involves a stochastic and nonlinear modification of the Schrödinger equation. It deviates very little from the Schrödinger equation for microscopic systems but efficiently suppresses, for macroscopic systems, superpositions of macroscopically different states. As sug-gested by Bell, we take the primitive ontology, or local beables, of our model to be a discrete set of space-time points, at which the collapses are centered. This set is random with distribution determined by the initial wavefunction. Our model is nonlocal and violates Bell’s inequality though it does not make use of a preferred slicing of space-time or any other sort of synchronization of spacelike separated points. Like the GRW model, it reproduces the quantum probabilities in all cases presently testable, though it entails deviations from the quantum formalism that are in principle testable. Our model works in Minkowski space-time as well as in (well-behaved) curved background space-times. PACS numbers: 03.65.Ta; 03.65.Ud; 03.30.+p. Key words: spontaneous wave-function collapse; relativity; quantum theory without observers. 1