Quantum Theory and Pictures of Reality: Foundations, Interpretations, and New Aspects

ISBN-13: 9783540501527 / Angielski / Miękka / 1989 / 338 str.

Wolfram Schommers; B. D'Espagnat; P. Eberhard

Opis

Schommers introduces the foundations, mostly from a histori- cal point of view. Eberhard gives an introductory account of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and Bell's celebrated inequalities. D'Espagnat discusses realism andseparability and concludes that contemporary physics does not lead to a definite conception of the world. Eberhard shows how a model consistent with Bell's theorem can be constructed by ad- mitting faster-than-light action at a distance. Schommers discusses the structure ofspace-time and argues that physi- cally real processes do not take place in but are projected on space-time. Selleri discusses the idea that objectively real quantum waves exist and could in principle be detected.

Spis treści

1. Evolution of Quantum Theory.- 1.1 Classical Pictures of Reality.- 1.1.1 Mythological and Intellectual Pictures.- 1.1.2 Mechanistic View of the World.- 1.2 From Classical to Quantum Mechanics.- 1.2.1 Planck’s Constant.- 1.2.2 Einstein’s Picture of Light.- 1.2.3 The Structure of Atoms.- 1.2.4 Matter Waves, Schrödinger’s Wave Equation, and Matrix Mechanics.- 1.2.5 Bora’s Probability Interpretation.- 1.2.6 Uncertainty.- 1.2.7 The Principle of Complementarity.- 1.3 Theories of Measurement: Brief Remarks.- 1.3.1 Objectivity.- 1.3.2 The Measurement Problem.- 1.3.3 Theories of Measurement: Final Comments.- 1.4 Summary.- Appendix 1.A. Classical Mechanics: Some Basic Remarks.- 1.A.1 The Principle of Least Action and Lagrange’s Equations.- 1.A.2 Newton’s Equations.- 1.A.3 Hamilton’s Equations.- 1.A.4 The Hamilton-Jacobi Equations.- Appendix 1.B. The Relation Between Schrödinger’s Equations and Classical Mechanics.- References.- 2. The EPR Paradox. Roots and Ramifications.- 2.1 A Debate Lasting More Than Fifty Years.- 2.1.1 Are There Faster-Than-Light Effects in Quantum Phenomena?.- 2.1.2 Einstein’s Point of View.- 2.1.3 Dissenting Voices.- 2.1.4 The Verdict of Experiment.- 2.2 A Far-Reaching Argument.- 2.2.1 Example of an EPR-Bohm Experiment.- 2.2.2 How to Compute the Predictions in Quantum Theory.- 2.2.3 Reality and Lorentz Invariance.- 2.2.4 Bell’s Theorem.- 2.2.5 Analogy with a Spy Story.- 2.3 A Sample of Possible Solutions.- 2.3.1 Experimental Loopholes.- 2.3.2 Giving up on Conventional Concepts of Reality.- 2.3.3 Fundamental Space-Time Restframes.- 2.3.4 How a Model with Rudimentary Locality Can Work.- 2.3.5 Conclusions.- References.- 3. Nonseparability and the Tentative Descriptions of Reality.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Realism and Separability.- 3.2.1 Realism.- 3.2.2 The Principle of Separability.- 3.2.3 Separable “Conception of the World”.- 3.3 Separability and Quantum Physics.- 3.3.1 Separability and Quantum State.- 3.3.2 The Usefulness and Scope of the Statistical Operator Description of States.- 3.3.3 How to Prove Nonseparability.- 3.3.4 A Few Words of Caution.- 3.3.5 Quantum Mechanics Does Not Allow Superluminal Signalling.- 3.4 Disproof of the Principle of Separability.- 3.4.1 Derivation of the Bell-CHSH Inequalities.- 3.4.2 Relativity and the Bell-CHSH Inequalities.- 3.4.3 Other Assumptions Leading to the Bell-CHSH Inequalities.- 3.4.4 The Special Case of Strict Correlations.- 3.4.5 The “Principle of Inductive Causality”, its Motivation and function.- 3.4.6 The Generality of the Bell Inequalities.- 3.5 Counterfactuals and Influences-at-a-Distance.- 3.5.1 Strict Implication and Counterfactuals.- 3.5.2 A Few Applications for These Concepts.- 3.5.3 An Application to the Everett “Relative State” Theory.- 3.5.4 In What Sense Can We Speak of Superluminal Propagation of Influences?.- 3.5.5 A Nonrelativistic Approach.- 3.5.6 What About the Relativistic Case?.- 3.6 Some Problems Bearing on Causality.- 3.6.1 A Remark on Delayed Choice Experiments.- 3.6.2 Remarks on Relativistic Covarianee and its Meaning.- 3.6.3 On Measurement Time Asymmetry and the Nonexistence of Superluminal Signals.- 3.7 Tentative Descriptions of an “Independent Reality”.- 3.7.1 Assumption Q Made.- 3.7.2 Assumption Q Not Made.- 3.8 Conclusion.- Appendix 3.I. Some Disproved Objections to the Bell Theorem.- Added Note.- Appendix 3.II.- References.- 4. A Realistic Model for Quantum Theory With a Locality Property.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.1.1 Background and Scope.- 4.1.2 Basic Features of the Model.- 4.1.3 Possible Experimental Evidence.- 4.2 Field Theory and Translation-Invariant Operators.- 4.2.1 The Density Matrices for the Universe and for an Isolated Quantum System.- 4.2.2 Measurement Probabilities and Collapses.- 4.2.3 Translation Invariant Operators.- 4.2.4 The Translation-Invariant Formalism.- 4.2.5 Lorentz Invariance.- 4.3 The Model and its Predictions.- 4.3.1 Probabilities of Measurement Results.- 4.3.2 Equations for Time Evolution.- 4.3.3 Collapses of the Quantum Matrix.- 4.3.4 Role of the Spatial-Compatibility Condition in Collapses.- 4.3.5 Collapses Without Observers.- 4.4 Properties Related to Locality.- 4.4.1 Invariances and Locality of the Model.- 4.4.2 Evolution When V is Not Infinite.- 4.4.3 Measurements Well Spaced in Time.- 4.4.4 Measurements Closely Spaced in Time.- 4.4.5 Isolated Systems.- 4.4.6 Superluminous Communication.- 4.5 Impact on Measurement Theory.- 4.5.1 Locality of Measurement Processes.- 4.5.2 Measurements Equated to Acts of Consciousness.- 4.5.3 The Spontaneous Measurements Approach.- 4.6 Conclusion.- Appendix 4.A. A Partial Derivative Equation for C(x,t).- Appendix 4.B. Conservation of the Spatial-Compatibility Condition.- Appendix 4.C. Generating the Spatial-Compatibility Condition.- Appendix 4.D. Collapses Due to Two Measurements Closely Spaced in Time.- References.- 5. Space-Time and Quantum Phenomena.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Time-Operator Within Usual Quantum Theory.- 5.3 Superoperator Formalism.- 5.3.1 Being and Becoming: General Remarks.- 5.3.2 Liouvillian Formulation of Quantum Mechanics.- 5.3.3 Extension of the Formalism of Classical and Quantum Mechanics.- 5.3.4 Superoperator for the Time.- 5.3.5 “Picture of Reality” Within the Superoperator Formalism.- 5.4 Space-Time and Quantum Theory: A Formulation in Accordance With Mach’s Principle.- 5.4.1 Space-Time and Mach’s Principle.- 5.4.2 Other Spaces.- 5.4.3 The Influence of Planck’s Constant.- 5.4.4 Operators.- 5.4.5 Intermediate Spaces.- 5.4.6 A New Complementarity.- 5.4.7 Determination of ?(r, t) and ?(p,E).- 5.4.8 Meaning of the Wave Functions.- 5.4.9 Eigenvalues.- 5.4.10 The Role of Time.- 5.4.11 Being and Becoming.- 5.4.12 Particles and Waves.- 5.4.13 Wave Function and Measurement.- 5.4.14 Remarks Concerning the Superposition Principle.- 5.4.15 Reality and Basic Reality.- 5.5 Summary and Final Remarks.- Appendix 5.A. On the Second Law of Thermodynamics.- Appendix 5.B. A Non-absolute Space-Time.- Appendix 5.C. On the Uncertainty Relation for Energy and Time.- Appendix 5.D. On the Definition of Being and Becoming.- References.- 6. Wave-Particle Duality: Recent Proposals for the Detection of Empty Waves.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 The Einstein-De Broglie Formulation.- 6.3 The Copenhagen-Göttingen Formulation of Duality.- 6.4 Delayed-Choice Experiments.- 6.5 Noteworthy Experimental Facts.- 6.6 Empty-Wave Stimulation of Photon Emission.- 6.7 Theories of Stimulated Emission.- 6.8 Experimental Discriminations.- 6.9 Further Experiments for the Detection of Empty Waves.- Note Added in Proof.- References.- Additional References.