Time reversal symmetry and collapse models

DOI10.1007/S10701-017-0084-5MaRDI QIDQ2014306zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Daniel J. Bedingham, Owen J. E. Maroney

Publication date 11 August 2017

Published in Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.06830

zbMATH Keywords

collapse of the wave functiontime reversal symmetrydynamical collapse models

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Finite-dimensional groups and algebras motivated by physics and their representations (81R05)

Abstract: Collapse models are modifications of quantum theory where the wave function is treated as physically real and the collapse of the wave function is a physical process. This appears to introduce a time reversal asymmetry into the dynamics of the wave function since the collapses affect only the future state. This paper challenges this conclusion, showing that in three different examples of time asymmetries associated with collapse models, if the physically real part of the model can be reduced to the locations in space and time about which collapses occur, then such a model works both forward and backward in time, in each case satisfying the Born rule. Despite the apparent asymmetry of the collapse process, these models in fact have time reversal symmetry. Any physically observed time asymmetries that arise in such models are due to the asymmetric imposition of initial or final time boundary conditions, rather than from an inherent asymmetry in the dynamical law. This is the standard explanation of time asymmetric behaviour resulting from time symmetric laws.

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• Breakdown of time reversal symmetry: intrinsic randomness, time operator, scattering
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Cites work

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• Dynamical reduction models
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• Speakable and unspeakable in quantum mechanics. With an introduction by Alain Aspect
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Cited in

(6)

• An argument against the realistic interpretation of the wave function
• Time reversal symmetry of generalized quantum measurements with past and future boundary conditions
• Unscrambling subjective and epistemic probabilities
• Temporal global correlations in time-symmetric collapse models
• Spontaneous collapse theories and temporal primitivism about time's direction
• Breakdown of time reversal symmetry: intrinsic randomness, time operator, scattering

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