A Clearer View of the Atomic World

Valia Allori, Sheldon Goldstein, Roderich Tumulka +1 more

Schrodinger’s first proposal for the interpretation of quantum mechanics was based on a postulate relating the wave function on configuration space to charge density in physical space. Schrodinger apparently later thought that his proposal was empirically wrong. We argue here that this is not the case, at least for a very similar proposal with charge density replaced by mass density. We argue that when analyzed carefully this theory is seen to be an empirically adequate many-worlds theory and not an empirically inadequate theory describing a single world. Moreover, this formulation—Schrodinger’s first quantum theory—can be regarded as a formulation of the many-worlds view of quantum mechanics that is ontologically clearer than Everett’s.

James Stokley

Wilmot V. Metcalf

Valia Allori, Sheldon Goldstein, Roderich Tumulka +1 more

Schrödinger’s first proposal for the interpretation of quantum mechanics was based on a postulate relating the wave function on configuration space to charge density in physical space. Schrödinger apparently later thought that his proposal was empirically wrong. We argue here that this is not the case, at least for a very similar proposal with charge density replaced by mass density. We argue that when analyzed carefully, this theory is seen to be an empirically adequate many-worlds theory and not an empirically inadequate theory describing a single world. Moreover, this formulation—Schrödinger’s first quantum theory—can be regarded as a formulation of the many-worlds view of quantum mechanics that is ontologically clearer than Everett’s. 1. Monstrosity2. Duality3. Parallelity4. Reality5. Nonlocality6. Relativity7. Probability8. Typicality9. Uncertainty10. Summary

The sharpening of atomic energy levels with decreasing temperature is the motivation for using atoms cooled to just a fraction above absolute zero as the detection medium for metrological applications. Ultracold atom “fountains” already have been used in atomic clocks and in gravimeters and gravity gradiometers. However, the cooling process provides a thermal cloud of warmer atoms that surround the cold-atom core, and as detection of the atoms usually relies on monitoring fluorescence or absorption transitions between energy levels, these thermal atoms broaden the spectra and reduce sensitivity.

Edward M. MacKinnon