Hidden variable interpretation of spontaneous localization theory

Abstract

The spontaneous localization theory of Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber (GRW) is a theory in which wavepacket reduction is treated as a genuine physical process. Here it is shown that the mathematical formalism of GRW can be given an interpretation in terms of an evolving distribution of particles on configuration space similar to Bohmian mechanics (BM). The GRW wavefunction acts as a pilot wave for the set of particles. In addition, a continuous stream of noisy information concerning the precise whereabouts of the particles must be specified. Nonlinear filtering techniques are used to determine the dynamics of the distribution of particles conditional on this noisy information and consistency with the GRW wavefunction dynamics is demonstrated. Viewing this development as a hybrid BM-GRW theory, it is argued that, besides helping to clarify the relationship between the GRW theory and BM, its merits make it worth considering in its own right.

13 pages

References in corpus (4)

• On the Common Structure of Bohmian Mechanics and the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber Theory
• Solving the measurement problem: de Broglie-Bohm loses out to Everett
• Quantum noise and stochastic reduction
• Dynamical state reduction in an EPR experiment

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Predictions and Primitive Ontology in Quantum Foundations: A Study of Examples
• Modified Schödinger dynamics with attractive densities
• Bohmian Mechanics, Collapse Models and the emergence of Classicality
• A model of quantum collapse induced by gravity
• Comment on "Hidden Variable Interpretation of Spontaneous Localization Theory"