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TOPOLOGICAL REPRESENTATION COLLAPSE VS. GRAVITY-INDUCED DECOHERENCE

Michael I Aksman

Published Jun 5, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The physical mechanism underlying quantum wave-function collapse remains a central problem in foundational physics. Objective collapse theories, notably the Penrose-Diósi (DP) model,propose that macroscopic superposition is destroyed by gravitational self-energy (∆EG), predicting that collapse scales strictly with mass.We propose an entirely distinct physical mechanism: Topological Representation Collapse.Within the Deterministic Spectral Manifold (DSM-861) framework, wave-function collapse istriggered not by static gravity, but by dynamic enstrophy strain exceeding a specific topologicalmelting threshold (Em ≈ 695.74 eV). This establishes a falsifiable experimental demarcationline in the mesoscopic regime. We demonstrate that highly strained, rapidly rotating, or topologically complex mesoscopic systems (such as driven nanomechanical rotors or rapidly foldingproteins) will undergo spontaneous decoherence significantly faster than predicted by gravityinduced models, while perfectly rigid macroscopic masses may maintain coherence longer.

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.20557367

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The physical mechanism underlying quantum wave-function collapse remains a central problem in foundational physics. Objective collapse theories, notably the Penrose-Diósi (DP) model,propose that macroscopic superposition is destroyed by gravitational self-energy (∆EG), predicting that collapse scales strictly with mass.We propose an entirely distinct physical mechanism: Topological Representation Collapse.Within the Deterministic Spectral Manifold (DSM-861) framework, wave-function collapse istriggered not by static gravity, but by dynamic enstrophy strain exceeding a specific topologicalmelting threshold (Em ≈ 695.74 eV). This establishes a falsifiable experimental demarcationline in the mesoscopic regime. We demonstrate that highly strained, rapidly rotating, or topologically complex mesoscopic systems (such as driven nanomechanical rotors or rapidly foldingproteins) will undergo spontaneous decoherence significantly faster than predicted by gravityinduced models, while perfectly rigid macroscopic masses may maintain coherence longer.
The physical mechanism underlying quantum wave-function collapse remains a centralproblem in foundational physics. Objective collapse theories, notably the Penrose-Diósi(DP) model, propose that macroscopic superposition is destroyed by gravitational self-energy∆EG, predicting that collapse time τD = ℏ/∆EG scales strictly with mass. Recent experimental bounds from underground generalized acceleration experiments (AURIGA, Helouet al. 2017) have severely constrained the DP parameter space. We propose an entirelydistinct, falsifiable mechanism: Topological Representation Collapse. Within the DSM-861framework, wave-function collapse is triggered not by static gravity but by dynamic enstrophy strain exceeding the topological melting threshold Em = 695.74 eV. This establishes afalsifiable experimental demarcation line in the mesoscopic regime. We demonstrate fourspecific signatures: (1) Topology vs. Mass—decoherence depends on vorticity, not mass; (2)The Rotor Anomaly—a driven nanomechanical rotor will decohere faster than DP predictswhen rotational energy approaches 695.74 eV; (3) Protein Folding Dynamics—intrinsicallydisordered proteins generate enstrophy gradients that trigger a hard decoherence cutoff; (4)Rigid Mass Coherence—a perfectly rigid, non-rotating mass maintains coherence longer thanDP allows. All four predictions are falsifiable with next-generation mesoscopic superpositionexperiments.
We present a rigorous kinetic theory of objective wave-function collapse grounded in the deterministic structural bounds of the DSM-861 hydrodynamic vacuum. By modeling the local vacuum as a finite 3-torus Cayley distance-graph with exactly 861 vertices, we demonstrate that macroscopic quantum superpositions act as localized perturbations that inject dynamic enstrophy into the discrete fluid network. Utilizing a continuous-time Master Equation together with a local detailed-balance assumption, we derive the stationary nonequilibrium distribution of this driven dissipative system. We introduce explicit kinetic theorems defining the transition matrix, proving that as injected enstrophy increases, the spectral gap closes, forcing a sudden, irreversible Prigogine bifurcation. We mathematically prove this spectral closure rigorously necessitates topological equipartition, yielding an exact, deterministically bounded critical enstrophy threshold of 695.74 eV. We conclude by establishing a quantitative hydrodynamic coupling coefficient, bridging this vacuum threshold to a macroscopic rotational anomaly and providing an experimentally falsifiable signature of wave-function collapse.
Probing gravity-related decoherence with a 16 μμμg Schrödinger cat state
The Schrödinger equation predicts the validity of the superposition principle at any scale, yet we do not experience cats being in a superposition of "dead" and "alive" in our everyday lives. Modifications to quantum theory at the fundamental level may be responsible for the objective collapse of the wave function above a critical mass, thereby breaking down the superposition principle and restoring classical behavior at the macroscopic scale. One possibility is that these modifications are related to gravity, as described by the Diósi-Penrose wavefunction collapse model. Here, we investigate this model using experimental measurements on the decoherence of a Schrödinger cat state of a mechanical resonator with an effective mass of 16 micrograms.
The quantum measurement problem requires a dynamical mechanism to explain the transition from a linear superposition of states to a single definite eigenstate. In this monograph, we present a quantitative geometric resolution by explicitly deriving the Penrose Objective Reduction (OR) hypothesis from the fundamental, microscopic dynamics of Topological Quantum Chromodynamics (Topological QCD). Rather than treating OR as a phenomenological postulate, we model the wavefunction Ψ\PsiΨ as a literal topological superposition within the Gravitational Spin Polarization Tensor Πab\Pi_{ab}Πab​. We demonstrate that a superposition of macroscopically distinct mass states injects localized scalar curvature RRR. By proposing that the exact Lichnerowicz identity bounds the spectral gap proportionally to the gravitational self-energy ΔEG\Delta E_GΔEG​, we formulate a compelling candidate mechanism for wavefunction collapse at the time scale τ=ℏ/ΔEG\tau = \hbar / \Delta E_Gτ=ℏ/ΔEG​. Thus, our framework grounds Penrose's model in a fundamental, non-linear spin-network ontology.
We evaluate the macroscopic entanglement-loss implications of gravitational time dilation, first identified by Pikovski et al. (2015). By moving beyond the idealized zero-temperature single-mode approximation to a continuous Debye model in the canonical ensemble, we derive the explicit phononic heat-capacity limits for spontaneous gravitational decoherence. We find that the decoherence rate driven by internal time-dilation variance strongly scales with σ∝T5/2\sigma \propto T^{5/2}σ∝T5/2 at ultra-low experimental temperatures (T≪ΘDT \ll \Theta_DT≪ΘD​), vanishing strictly at absolute zero. Furthermore, we demonstrate mathematically that translational invariance renders proper-time differences between spatially distinct branches of an identical matter distribution identically zero. Thus, contrary to the Diósi-Penrose approach, an isolated mass in a pure superposition cannot undergo solely self-gravitational state-collapse. Decoherence requires either an external gravitational potential gradient or internal structural asymmetry. Lastly, we prove that the topological spectral dimension dsd_sds​ of the macroscopic test mass determines the decoherence rate scaling, creating a new class of ultra-sensitive 'fracton-gravity sensors'.
Abstract The possibility that gravity plays a role in the collapse of the quantum wave function has been considered in the literature, and it is of relevance not only because it would provide a solution to the measurement problem in quantum theory, but also because it would give a new and unexpected twist to the search for a unified theory of quantum and gravitational phenomena, possibly overcoming the current impasse. The Diósi–Penrose model is the most popular incarnation of this idea. It predicts a progressive breakdown of quantum superpositions when the mass of the system increases; as such, it is susceptible to experimental verification. Current experiments set a lower bound R 0 ≳ 4 Å for the free parameter of the model, excluding some versions of it. In this work we search for an upper bound, coming from the request that the collapse is effective enough to guarantee classicality at the macroscopic scale: we find out that not all macroscopic systems collapse effectively. If one relaxes this request, a reasonable (although to some degree arbitrary) bound is found to be: R 0 ≲ 10 6 Å. This will serve to better direct future experiments to further test the model.