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If you follow some of my posts, you probably already know that I am a big advocate of Bell's Theorem. I thought I would share a little exercise that shows another aspect of why it is important. Deposited today in the preprint archive was the following article:
Waves, Particles, and Quantized Transitions: A New Realistic Model of the Microworld, by Alan M. Kadin
He introduces a local realistic model, complete with a bunch of formulae and other support. So naturally, the first thing I do is look at the section where Bell is addressed. After all, no one will read it if that is not dealt with. So I find this:
"Since the two particles can be far apart at the time the first measurement is made, this would seem to violate (at least the spirit of) special relativity. Alternatively, if no such instantaneous collapse occurs, then each of the two particles must remember their initial preparation in a way that incorporates the final result, via some sort of “hidden variables”. But a general analysis of these types of correlated measurements by Bell has led to a set of inequalities that constrain the existence of “local hidden variables”. A number of experiments have been done, practically all using correlated photons and polarization measurements, and these tend to confirm the standard quantum predictions, as opposed to an alternative explanation based on local hidden variables. These results have been generally interpreted to rule out any alternative to standard quantum mechanics, although some questions about possible “loopholes” in the results continue to be discussed.
"The present picture questions the real existence of the entangled product states that are used in the conventional explanation of these EPR-type experiments, and instead proposes that each quantum wave represents a localized real-space rotating vector field consistent with local realism. Furthermore, in terms of the optical experiments, the present picture suggests that single photons are necessarily circularly polarized with spin h, in contrast to linearly polarized single photons with zero spin, which are essential to the interpretation of many of these measurements. From this point of view, an electromagnetic wave that passes through a linear polarizer must be a superposition of at least 2 counter-rotating CP photons. It would be interesting to re-analyze the results of these experiments with this picture in mind, to see if this could account for the measured results in a way that does not require non-locality."
What?? "Interesting"!? Sir, it is not interesting, it's required! Send this puppy straight to the bit bucket 'cause this dog won't fly. Fortunately, most "would be" authors of local realistic theories pause before they send papers like this out because they cannot address Bell properly. And that is another reason why Bell is so important. It provides a line in the sand that is supposed to filter out work like this. But every so often, one comes through anyway. Then all you do is look for the section on Bell...
-DrC
Waves, Particles, and Quantized Transitions: A New Realistic Model of the Microworld, by Alan M. Kadin
He introduces a local realistic model, complete with a bunch of formulae and other support. So naturally, the first thing I do is look at the section where Bell is addressed. After all, no one will read it if that is not dealt with. So I find this:
"Since the two particles can be far apart at the time the first measurement is made, this would seem to violate (at least the spirit of) special relativity. Alternatively, if no such instantaneous collapse occurs, then each of the two particles must remember their initial preparation in a way that incorporates the final result, via some sort of “hidden variables”. But a general analysis of these types of correlated measurements by Bell has led to a set of inequalities that constrain the existence of “local hidden variables”. A number of experiments have been done, practically all using correlated photons and polarization measurements, and these tend to confirm the standard quantum predictions, as opposed to an alternative explanation based on local hidden variables. These results have been generally interpreted to rule out any alternative to standard quantum mechanics, although some questions about possible “loopholes” in the results continue to be discussed.
"The present picture questions the real existence of the entangled product states that are used in the conventional explanation of these EPR-type experiments, and instead proposes that each quantum wave represents a localized real-space rotating vector field consistent with local realism. Furthermore, in terms of the optical experiments, the present picture suggests that single photons are necessarily circularly polarized with spin h, in contrast to linearly polarized single photons with zero spin, which are essential to the interpretation of many of these measurements. From this point of view, an electromagnetic wave that passes through a linear polarizer must be a superposition of at least 2 counter-rotating CP photons. It would be interesting to re-analyze the results of these experiments with this picture in mind, to see if this could account for the measured results in a way that does not require non-locality."
What?? "Interesting"!? Sir, it is not interesting, it's required! Send this puppy straight to the bit bucket 'cause this dog won't fly. Fortunately, most "would be" authors of local realistic theories pause before they send papers like this out because they cannot address Bell properly. And that is another reason why Bell is so important. It provides a line in the sand that is supposed to filter out work like this. But every so often, one comes through anyway. Then all you do is look for the section on Bell...
-DrC