Graduate How does the thermal interpretation explain Stern-Gerlach?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the application of the thermal interpretation to the Stern-Gerlach experiment, specifically regarding a beam of electrons prepared in the spin-z up state. The experiment demonstrates that the beam splits into two distinct paths, corresponding to the spin-x eigenstates, which raises questions about the interpretation of measurement outcomes. According to @A. Neumaier's thermal interpretation, the measurement is viewed as an uncertain value approximating the q-expectation rather than a definitive eigenvalue. This leads to a contradiction where the expected distribution does not align with the observed results, prompting further inquiry into the classical versus quantum treatment of measurement devices.

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  • #91
A. Neumaier said:
##H## is a sum of integrals over multilocal operators
Can you better explain what do you mean by that? (Pinpoiting to the right part of your paper would be OK.)
 
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  • #92
Demystifier said:
Can you better explain what do you mean by that? (Pinpointing to the right part of your paper would be OK.)
In my paper I didn't discuss the detailed form of the Hamiltonian of the universe. It depends on stuff yet to be discovered about how to represent quantum gravity. But the general form of the Hamiltonian is already visible from simpler quantum field theories such as QED, where it is derived as usual from the action, and later modified through renormalization.

Already a free Hamiltonian contains a term with a spatial integral over quadratic expressions, and interactions plus renormalization at all orders add terms of all higher degrees, which become multilocal when inserted into the Ehrenfest dynamics. (Search for Hamiltonian in this Wikipedia article to find the explicit unrenormalized expression for scalar field theory; the integration variable runs over points distinct from the ##x## in the Ehrenfest equation.)
 
  • #93
Hi all,

sorry if I post in a relatively old thread.

charters said:
Ok this I can agree is a workable and well understood solution to Bell's theorem. Basically, instead of saying a "pilot wave" is steering the deterministic time evolution of the local pointer variables, the TI says it is "multilocal variables" doing so.

Personally, I do not understand how can one avoid a 'non-locality' of the kind of the pilot-wave theory if multi-local properties dependent on more than one space-like separated space-time regions are accepted. Are there any references on this?
Also, is the thermal interpretation the only one that uses this possible solution to Bell's theorem?
 
  • #94
indefinite_123 said:
I do not understand how can one avoid a 'non-locality' of the kind of the pilot-wave theory if multi-local properties dependent on more than one space-like separated space-time regions are accepted. Are there any references on this?
I discuss nonlocality in Part II of my preprints, Section 4.5, mentioned in post #1 of the main thread on the TI (linked to in post #2 of the present thread) .

For a more polished account of bilocal quantities and nonlocality see my recent book also mentioned there.
 
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  • #95
A. Neumaier said:
I discuss nonlocality in Part II of my preprints, Section 4.5, mentioned in post #1 of the main thread on the TI (linked to in post #2 of the present thread) .

For a more polished account of bilocal quantities and nonlocality see my recent book also mentioned there.
Thank you very much!
 

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