Theory of time based on wave function collapse

Fay Dowker B, Isabelle Herbauts

The idea that in dynamical wave function collapse models the wave function is superfluous is investigated. Evidence is presented for the conjecture that, in a model of a field theory on a 1+1 lightcone lattice, knowing the field configuration on the lattice back to some time in the past, allows the wave function or quantum state at the present moment to be calculated, to arbitrary accuracy so long as enough of the past field configuration is known.

Bernhard Baumgartner

H. D. Zeh

Eric A. Galapon

The unexpected connection is unravelled between the collapse of the wave function on the appearance of particle and the quantum time-of-arrival problem in one dimension. To do so, a theory of quantum first time of arrival is developed in the interacting case for arbitrary arrival point in one dimension based on a self-adjoint and canonical coarse graining of a time-of-arrival operator that derives the classical time-of-arrival observable. The appearance of particle in quantum mechanics is then considered in the light of this theory. It is found that the appearance of particle arises as a combination of the collapse of the initial wave function into one of the eigenfunctions of the time-of-arrival operator, followed by a unitary Schrödinger evolution of the eigenfunction.

Lajos Diósi

We give a twist to the assumption – discussed in various earlier works – that gravity plays a role in the collapse of the wave function. This time we discuss the contrary assumption that the collapse of the wave function plays a role in the emergence of the gravitational field. We start from the mathematical framework of a particular Newtonian gravitational collapse theory proposed by the author longtime ago, and we reconciliate it with the classical equivalence principle.

A. Ruschhaupt, Reinhard F. Werner