"Test of wave function collapse suggests gravity is not the answer"

In summary, the researchers found that the gravitational collision model ruled out by Donadi and co-workers does not include several assumptions, such as a Poissonian model for the noise, and is not limited to other well-known collapse models.
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  • #2
I do not want to discourage experimenters trying interesting ideas. If standard QM is correct, as we have interpretations without collapse, such a discovery would be revolutionary. I am not referring to the standard postulates of QM we have all agreed on, I am referring to interpretations like Decoherent Histories that do not have the concept - or even the concept of measurement - it is emergent in that interpretation. QM is indeed a strange thing. Standard postulates you find in many textbooks, and to make discourse of this forum easy we have adopted, sometimes do not have counterparts in some interpretations.

Thanks
Bill
 
  • #3
StevieTNZ said:
https://phys.org/news/2020-09-function-collapse-gravity.html

An interesting article I saw yesterday. However, both Nature articles (the summary [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1026-2] and the actual technical paper [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1008-4]) are behind a paywall.
.https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...radoxes-may-have-lost-its-leading-explanation

"Although Penrose praises the new work, he thinks it’s not really possible to test his version of the model. He says he was never comfortable with particle swerves, because they might cause the universe to gain or lose energy, violating a basic principle of physics. He has spent the pandemic lockdown creating a new and improved model. “It doesn’t produce a heating or radiation," he says. In that case, gravity might be causing collapse, yet hiding its tracks."

"Other factors such as interactions between germanium protons and electrons might also cloak the signal, says theoretical physicist Maaneli Derakhshani of Rutgers University, New Brunswick. All in all, he says, if gravity does cause collapse, the process has to be more complicated than Penrose originally proposed. “One could reasonably argue that … the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.”

.
 
  • #4
StevieTNZ said:
https://phys.org/news/2020-09-function-collapse-gravity.html

An interesting article I saw yesterday. However, both Nature articles (the summary [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1026-2] and the actual technical paper [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-1008-4]) are behind a paywall.

A massive test.​

Nature Physics volume 17, pages14–15(2021)

10.1038/s41567-020-1026-2

"The gravitational collision model (Diósi–Penrose model) ruled out by Donadi and co-workers includes several assumptions such as a Poissonian model for the noise and does not exclude other well-known collapse models(4,5,9)"

4. Bassi, A., Lochan, K., Satin, S., Singh, T. P. & Ulbricht, H.
Rev. Mod. Phys. 85, 471–526 (2013).
5. Arndt, M. & Hornberger, K. Nat. Phys. 10, 271–277 (2014).
9. Ghirardi, G. C., Rimini, A. & Weber, T. Phys. Rev. D 34,
470–491 (1986). Nature.

.
 

1. What is the test of wave function collapse?

The test of wave function collapse is a scientific experiment that aims to study the behavior of quantum particles and their interactions with gravity. It involves observing the collapse of a quantum wave function, which is a probabilistic description of a particle's position, and analyzing the effects of gravity on this collapse.

2. How does the test suggest that gravity is not the answer?

The test of wave function collapse has shown that the collapse of a quantum wave function is not affected by gravity, which contradicts the predictions of general relativity. This suggests that gravity may not be the fundamental force that governs the behavior of quantum particles.

3. What implications does this test have for our understanding of gravity?

If the test of wave function collapse is confirmed, it would challenge our current understanding of gravity and force us to re-evaluate its role in the universe. It could potentially lead to the development of a new theory that explains the behavior of quantum particles and their interactions with gravity.

4. How was the test of wave function collapse conducted?

The test involved using a device called an interferometer to measure the collapse of a quantum wave function in the presence of a gravitational field. The results were then compared to the predictions of general relativity and other theories of quantum gravity.

5. What are the potential implications of this test for other areas of science?

If the test of wave function collapse is successful, it could have significant implications for other areas of science, such as cosmology and astrophysics. It could also lead to advancements in technology, as our understanding of gravity and quantum mechanics is essential for developing new technologies.

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