On Spontaneous Wave Function Collapse and Quantum Field Theory

Abstract

One way of obtaining a version of quantum mechanics without observers, and thus of solving the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, is to modify the Schroedinger evolution by implementing spontaneous collapses of the wave function. An explicit model of this kind was proposed in 1986 by Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber (GRW), involving a nonlinear, stochastic evolution of the wave function. We point out how, by focussing on the essential mathematical structure of the GRW model and a clear ontology, it can be generalized to (regularized) quantum field theories in a simple and natural way.

14 pages LaTeX, no figures; v2 minor improvements

References in corpus (4)

• Dynamical Reduction Models
• Quantum Equilibrium and the Role of Operators as Observables in Quantum Theory
• Generalized stochastic Schroedinger equations for state vector collapse
• Events and Piecewise Deterministic Dynamics in Event-Enhanced Quantum Theory

Cited by in corpus (38)

• Models of Wave-function Collapse, Underlying Theories, and Experimental Tests
• How Quantum Mechanics can consistently describe the use of itself
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• On the Common Structure of Bohmian Mechanics and the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber Theory
• Predictions and Primitive Ontology in Quantum Foundations: A Study of Examples
• Parameter Diagrams of the GRW and CSL Theories of Wave Function Collapse
• Benefits of Objective Collapse Models for Cosmology and Quantum Gravity
• Non-Paradoxical Loss of Information in Black Hole Evaporation in a Quantum Collapse Model
• The "Unromantic Pictures" of Quantum Theory
• A cosmic shadow on CSL
• Collapse and Relativity
• The Point Processes of the GRW Theory of Wave Function Collapse
• Updating the Born rule
• How Stands Collapse II
• Quantum origin of the primordial fluctuation spectrum and its statistics
• The Quantum Formalism and the GRW Formalism
• Gravitational Decoherence: A Thematic Overview
• Dynamical Reduction Models: present status and future developments
• Quantum Correlations and Quantum Non-locality: a review and a few new ideas
• Black Holes: Information Loss But No Paradox
• Quantum Mechanics in Multiply-Connected Spaces
• Generally covariant dynamical reduction models and the Hadamard condition
• On the (im)possibility of extending the GRW model to relativistic particles
• On Superselection Rules in Bohm-Bell Theories
• Eternal inflation and the quantum birth of cosmic structure
• A (not so?) novel explanation for the very special initial state of the universe
• On a Derivation of the Absorbing Boundary Rule
• Some Comments on the Formal Structure of Spontaneous Localization Theories
• A proposal for a new kind of spontaneous collapse model
• Hybrid Classical-Quantum Newtonian Gravity with stable vacuum
• Exploring the Effects of Mass Dependence in Spontaneous Collapse Models
• Dynamics of Causal Fermion Systems. Field Equations and Correction Terms for a New Unified Physical Theory
• Towards relativistic generalization of collapse models
• Primitive ontology and quantum state in the GRW matter density theory
• Bohmian Field Theory on a Shape Dynamics Background and Unruh Effect
• On substantive Lorentz invariance and quantum theory
• Relativistic Model for Gravity-Induced Quantum State Reduction
• Quantum Physics in Space