The broad debate on foundational issues in quantum mechanics, which took place at the famous 1957 Chapel Hill conference on \textit{The Role of Gravitation in Physics}, is here critically analyzed with an emphasis on Richard Feynman's contributions. One of the most debated questions at Chapel Hill was whether the gravitational field had to be quantized and its possible role in wave function collapse. Feynman's arguments in favor of the quantization of the gravitational field, based essentially on a series of gedanken experiments, are here discussed. Then the related problem of the wave function collapse, for which Feynman hints to decoherence as a possible solution, is discussed. Finally, another topic is analyzed, concerning the role of the observer in a closed Universe. In this respect, Feynman's many-worlds characterization of Everett's approach at Chapel Hill is discussed, together with later contributions of his, including a kind of Schrödinger's cat paradox, which are scattered throughout the 1962-63 Lectures on Gravitation. Philosophical implications of Feynman's ideas in relation to foundational issues are also discussed.
We propose a novel semiclassical mechanism to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, where wave function collapse in a superposition state induces a rapid change in the energy-momentum tensor, triggering spacetime dynamics that propagate at the speed of light. Unlike models assuming superposed spacetimes, we posit that the superposition yields a single, continuous classical spacetime driven by the expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor. Upon collapse, the abrupt shift modifies the spacetime metric via Einstein's field equations, respecting causality. We explore this for a particle in a spatial superposition, propose detailed experimental designs with numerical simulations of gravitational perturbations, address potential theoretical challenges, and discuss implications for existing quantum-gravity theories. This framework offers a pathway to reconcile quantum and gravitational dynamics without quantizing spacetime, with testable signatures in future experiments.
We establish fundamental uncertainty relations for the hydrodynamic variables arising from the Madelung representation of quantum fields in curved spacetime. Through canonical quantization of the density
n and phase
θ variables and their conjugate momenta, we derive exact uncertainty principles that depend on spacetime geometry through the lapse function
N and spatial metric
γij. These relations reveal how gravitational fields modulate quantum fluctuations and provide first-principles constraints for Scalar Field Dark Matter (SFDM) models and stochastic quantum gravity. We present two groundbreaking applications. First, By coupling the density-velocity uncertainty to the Newtonian condition of hydrostatic equilibrium, we derive the exact scaling law for the minimum core radius of a self-gravitating scalar field halo. We naturally find the scale
rc∝m−1/2 which is a testable prediction. Second, by evaluating the phase--momentum commutator in Rindler coordinates and relating the canonical momentum
Πθ to the energy density via the Hamiltonian, we obtain the acceleration scale
kBT=Cℏa/c. The proportionality constant
C=1/(2π) is fixed by the topological quantization of the Madelung phase circulation around the Euclidean horizon. This dual achievement demonstrates that quantum uncertainty on curved backgrounds is the unifying principle behind both galactic structure and black hole thermodynamics.