Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement
This paper is an in depth implementation of the proposal (Ellis 2012 Ann. Phys. NY 327 1890–932) that the quantum measurement issue can be resolved by carefully looking at top-down contextual effects within realistic measurement contexts. The specific setup of the measurement apparatus determines th...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2018-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aaecec |
| _version_ | 1827873324174147584 |
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| author | Barbara Drossel George Ellis |
| author_facet | Barbara Drossel George Ellis |
| author_sort | Barbara Drossel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper is an in depth implementation of the proposal (Ellis 2012 Ann. Phys. NY 327 1890–932) that the quantum measurement issue can be resolved by carefully looking at top-down contextual effects within realistic measurement contexts. The specific setup of the measurement apparatus determines the possible events that can take place. The interaction of local heat baths with a quantum system plays a key role in the process. In contrast to the usual attempts to explain quantum measurement by decoherence, we argue that the heat bath follows unitary time evolution only over limited length and time scales (Drossel 2017 His. Phil. Sci. B 58 12–21) and thus leads to localization and stochastic dynamics of quantum particles that interact with it. We show furthermore that a theory that describes all the steps from the initial arrival of the quantum particle to the final pointer deflection must use elements from classical physics. This proposal also provides a contextual answer to the puzzle of the origin of the arrow of time when quantum measurements take place: it derives from the cosmological direction of time. Overall, our proposal is for contextual wavefunction collapse. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:35:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7cb6911b08d94a8cbc3522f17ac832bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:35:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cb6911b08d94a8cbc3522f17ac832bf2023-08-08T14:54:56ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302018-01-01201111302510.1088/1367-2630/aaececContextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurementBarbara Drossel0George Ellis1Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , GermanyMathematics Department, University of Cape Town , South AfricaThis paper is an in depth implementation of the proposal (Ellis 2012 Ann. Phys. NY 327 1890–932) that the quantum measurement issue can be resolved by carefully looking at top-down contextual effects within realistic measurement contexts. The specific setup of the measurement apparatus determines the possible events that can take place. The interaction of local heat baths with a quantum system plays a key role in the process. In contrast to the usual attempts to explain quantum measurement by decoherence, we argue that the heat bath follows unitary time evolution only over limited length and time scales (Drossel 2017 His. Phil. Sci. B 58 12–21) and thus leads to localization and stochastic dynamics of quantum particles that interact with it. We show furthermore that a theory that describes all the steps from the initial arrival of the quantum particle to the final pointer deflection must use elements from classical physics. This proposal also provides a contextual answer to the puzzle of the origin of the arrow of time when quantum measurements take place: it derives from the cosmological direction of time. Overall, our proposal is for contextual wavefunction collapse.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aaececquantum measurementtop-down causationheat bathCopenhagen interpretationwave function collapsedecoherence |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Drossel George Ellis Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement New Journal of Physics quantum measurement top-down causation heat bath Copenhagen interpretation wave function collapse decoherence |
| title | Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| title_full | Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| title_fullStr | Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| title_short | Contextual Wavefunction collapse: an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| title_sort | contextual wavefunction collapse an integrated theory of quantum measurement |
| topic | quantum measurement top-down causation heat bath Copenhagen interpretation wave function collapse decoherence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aaecec |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barbaradrossel contextualwavefunctioncollapseanintegratedtheoryofquantummeasurement AT georgeellis contextualwavefunctioncollapseanintegratedtheoryofquantummeasurement |