We show that inelastic scattering in a short-range potential leads to a collapse of the wave function within standard evolution through the Schrödinger equation, whereas elastic scattering will not collapse the wave function. Specifically, we find that the initial width of the emerging wave function in inelastic scattering is primarily determined by the size of the participating scattering center and the range of the scattering potential, but not by the width of the incoming wave function. This indicates that dynamical collapse of the wave function through inelastic scattering can explain the emergence of particle-like signals.
We show that inelastic scattering in a short-range potential leads to a collapse of the wave function within standard evolution through the Schrödinger equation, whereas elastic scattering will not collapse the wave function. Specifically, we find that the initial width of the emerging wave function in inelastic scattering is primarily determined by the size of the participating scattering center and the range of the scattering potential, but not by the width of the incoming wave function. This indicates that dynamical collapse of the wave function through inelastic scattering can explain the emergence of particle-like signals.
We show that inelastic scattering leads to a collapse of the wave function within standard evolution through the Schroedinger equation, whereas elastic scattering will not collapse the wave function. Specifically, we find that the initial width of the emerging wave function in inelastic scattering is primarily determined by the size of the participating scattering center, but not by the width of the incoming wave function. This implies that dynamical collapse of the wave function through inelastic scattering, together with energy quantization in bound quantum systems, can explain the emergence of particle-like signals without the need to invoke the Born rule.
The measurement problem of quantum mechanics concerns the question as to under which circumstances coherent wave evolution becomes disrupted to produce eigenstates of observables, instead of evolving superpositions of eigenstates. The problem already needs to be addressed within wave mechanics, before second quantization, because low-energy interactions can be dominated by particle-preserving potential interactions. We discuss a scattering array of harmonic oscillators, which can detect particles penetrating the array through interaction with a short-range potential. Evolution of the wave function of scattered particles, combined with Heisenberg’s assertion that quantum jumps persist in wave mechanics, indicates that the wave function will collapse around single oscillator sites if the scattering is inelastic, while it will not collapse around single sites for elastic scattering. The Born rule for position observation is then equivalent to the statement that the wave function for inelastic scattering amounts to an epistemic superposition of possible scattering states, in the sense that it describes a sum of probability amplitudes for inelastic scattering off different scattering centers, whereas, at most, one inelastic scattering event can happen at any moment in time. Within this epistemic interpretation of the wave function, the actual underlying inelastic scattering event corresponds to a quantum jump, whereas the continuously evolving wave function only describes the continuous evolution of probability amplitudes for scattering off different sites. Quantum jumps then yield definite position observations, as defined by the spatial resolution of the oscillator array.
The measurement problem of quantum mechanics concerns the question under which circumstances coherent wave evolution becomes disrupted to produce eigenstates of observables, instead of evolving superpositions of eigenstates. The problem needs to be addressed already within wave mechanics, before second quantization, because low-energy interactions can be dominated by particle-preserving potential interactions. We discuss a scattering array of harmonic oscillators which can detect particles penetrating the array through interaction with a short-range potential. Evolution of the wave function of scattered particles, combined with Heisenberg's assertion that quantum jumps persist in wave mechanics, indicates that the wave function will collapse around single oscillator sites if the scattering is inelastic, while it will not collapse around single sites for elastic scattering. The Born rule for position observation is then equivalent to the statement that the wave function for inelastic scattering amounts to an epistemic superposition of possible scattering states, in the sense that it describes a sum of probability amplitudes for inelastic scattering off different scattering centers, whereas at most one inelastic scattering event can happen at any moment in time. Within this epistemic interpretation of the wave function, the actual underlying inelastic scattering event corresponds to a quantum jump, whereas the continuously evolving wave function only describes the continuous evolution of probability amplitudes for scattering off different sites. Quantum jumps then yield definite position observations as defined by the spatial resolution of the oscillator array.
This paper is intended to show the Schrodinger equation, within its structure, allows the manifestation of the wave function collapse within a very natural way of reasoning. In fact, as we will see, nothing new must be inserted to the classical quantum mechanics, viz., only the dialectics of the physical world must be interpreted under a correct manner. We know the nature of a physical system turns out to be quantical or classical, and, once under the validity of the Schrodinger equation to provide the evolution of this physical system, the dialectics, quantum or classical, mutually exclusive, must also be under context through the Schrodinger equation, issues within the main scope of this paper. We will show a classical measure, the obtention of a classical result, emerges from the structure of the Schrodinger equation, once one demands the possibility that, over a chronological domain, the system begins to provide a classical dialectic, showing the collapse may be understood from both: the structure of the Schrodinger equation as well as from the general solution to this equation. The general solution, even with a dialectical change of description, leads to the conservation of probability, obeying the Schrodinger equation. These issues will turn out to be a consequence of a general potential energy operator, obtained in this paper, including the possibility of the classical description of the physical system, including the possibility of interpretation of the collapse of the quantum mechanical state vector within the Schrodinger equation scope.
The meaning of the wave function and its evolution are investi-gated. First, we argue that the wave function in quantum mechanics is a description of random discontinuous motion of particles, and the modulus square of the wave function gives the probability density of the particles being in certain locations in space. Next, we show that the linear non-relativistic evolution of the wave function of an isolated system obeys the free Schrödinger equation due to the requirements of spacetime translation invariance and relativistic invariance. Thirdly, we argue that the random discontinuous motion of particles may lead to a stochastic, nonlinear collapse evolution of the wave function. A dis-crete model of energy-conserved wavefunction collapse is proposed and shown consistent with existing experiments and our macroscopic expe-rience. Besides, we also give a critical analysis of the de Broglie-Bohm theory, the many-worlds interpretation and other dynamical collapse theories, and briefly discuss the issues of unifying quantum mechanics and relativity.
This paper is intended to show the Schrodinger equation, within its structure, allows the manifestation of the wave function collapse within a very natural way of reasoning. In fact, as we will see, nothing new must be inserted to the classical quantum mechanics, viz., only the dialectics of the physical world must be interpreted under a correct manner. We know the nature of a physical system turns out to be quantical or classical, and, once under the validity of the Schrodinger equation to provide the evolution of this physical system, the dialectics, quantum or classical, mutually exclusive, must also be under context through the Schrodinger equation, issues within the main scope of this paper. We will show a classical measure, the obtention of a classical result, emerges from the structure of the Schrodinger equation, once one demands the possibility that, over a chronological domain, the system begins to provide a classical dialectic, showing the collapse may be understood from both: the structure of the Schrodinger equation as well as from the general solution to this equation. The general solution, even with a dialectical change of description, leads to the conservation of probability, obeying the Schrodinger equation. These issues will turn out to be a consequence of a general potential energy operator, obtained in this paper, including the possibility of the classical description of the physical system, including the possibility of interpretation of the collapse of the quantum mechanical state vector within the Schrodinger equation scope.