Theory for Quantum 'Measurement'

[Widdekind]

(1) 'Measurement' = Wave Function Collapse

 

(2) All 'Measurements' are, ultimately, spatial position Localizations

 

According to

GRW

, "outcomes

[of (Quantum)

Measurements

]

are typically recorded in the position of something".

(3) Localizations = Wave Function Collapses into attractive Potential Wells (w/ photon emission "registration" of event)

 

Free particles'

Wave Packets

steadily spread out across space

(von Neumann

Type 2

evolution, according to SWE)

. Spatial

Localization

requires an attractive

Potential Well

. When a quantum 'particle' (

e.g.

electron) encounters an attractive

potential well

(

e.g.

nucleus, with vacant bound orbital(s)), it may "choose" to bind, via

wave function "collapse"

(

Type 1

evolution)

, with a probability proportional to the

(squared modulus of the)

Overlap Integral

, between the incident free 'particles'

wave function

[math]\Psi[/math], and the available vacant bound-state orbital

wave function

[math]\Phi[/math] -- to wit, [math]P \propto | < \Phi | \Psi > |^2[/math].

(4) "Dice Roll" for Wave Function Collapse occurs upon initial Particle-Potential Interaction, before "organization" of Reflected & Transmitted waves

 

When an incident wave packet encounters an interfering potential barrier, the wave function "piles up", and a tunneling "feeler wave" threads through that potential barrier

instantaneously

, in

zero time

. Over the course of approximately

one period

, of the particle's phase oscillations,

Reflected & Transmitted

waves are "organized", out of the "piled up" incident

wave packet

.

(Nimitz & Haibel.

Zero Time Space

.)

.

 

We observe, that, immediately upon encountering an "interfering potential", quantum "weirdness", in the form of

instantaneous, zero-time

phenomena, occurs. Speculatively

generalizing

this phenomena, we infer, that

any & all

such

quantum instantaneity

occurs, as soon as the particle's wave packet "piles up" upon the newly encountered (potential-)energy discontinuity. In particular, upon encountering an attractive

potential well

, with available vacant orbitals, any

quantum instantaneous

wave function "collapse"

occurs, during that initial interaction period,

before

any

Reflected or Transmitted

waves are fully "organized", out of the wave packet "pile up". Only if, and

after

, the "dice roll" for quantum binding fails, so that

Type 2

evolution is

never

"exited", are

Reflected & Transmitted

waves fully & finally "organized". Once so "erected", [math]\Psi_R[/math] and [math]\Psi_T[/math] propagate away from the (potential-)energy discontinuity, according to the SWE.

 

Note that this wave packet "pile up" period represents the peak, of the

Overlap Integral

, and

Transition Probability

, from the incident free state, to the available vacant bound state. For,

before

the interaction, when the wave packet is far from the potential well, there is little overlap. Likewise,

after

the interaction, when the

Reflected & Transmitted

waves have propagated away from the potential well, there is

(again)

little overlap. But, in between, upon "piling up" at the potential, the incident

wave function

finds maximum overlap, with any available vacant binding orbitals. The time frame, for non-deterministic

Type 1

evolution, when the particle's evolution "exits" conventional

Type 2

evolution according to the SWE, for

instantaneous

wave function "collapse"

, is that initial "pile up" period, immediately upon the initial encounter, by the particle, with the (potential-)energy discontinuity, in its environment. In some sense,

an (attractive) energy discontinuity, and the spatially

Localized

bound orbital which it "offers", can "trigger" the "exiting" of conventional

T2

evolution, for non-conventional

T1

"collapse" evolution

.

(5) On "collapse", the Wave Function is "rectified" to spatially uniform phase, representing the particle's "arrest", into the Rest Frame corresponding to the attractive Potential Well (with an emitted "registration" photon carrying off the excess energy & momentum)

 

In

measurement & wave function collapse

, the

wave function

is "arrested"

(Nimitz & Haibel,

ibid

.)

.

This is necessary, to bring the particle to rest, in the

Rest Frame

of the attractive

potential well

, into which it

Localizes

. Typically, an emitted photon represents the "registration" of the event, required by John Wheeler

*

. The creation of such a photon also represents the "quantum creation", of the "third body", beyond electron & nucleus, necessary for compliance with the conservation of energy & momentum.

 

*

This "quantum micro-signal" can, in principle, be amplified, into a "macro-signal" comprehensible to some (human) scientist. However, whether said (human) scientist bothers to amplify,

after

the fact, that original "quantum micro-signal", has no retro-active influence, upon the original interaction, which has

already occurred

, as an event "permanently recorded (or etched)" in space-time,

before

it is even, in principle, possible to amplify said event's micro-signal. Einstein's Moon still exists, even when Earth-bound human eyes,

light-seconds away

, happen to be averted.

In all cases, that the particle is "arrested", and brought to a halt in some

Rest Frame

, indicates the importance of particle

Rest Mass

. In particular,

the

Rest Mass

represents the "persistent" part of a

wave function

, which survives the stresses of (non-local, instantaneous)

wave function collapse

(and "phase rectification")

. Since photons have no rest mass, their "arrest" represents their destruction.

[Widdekind]

Lacking Rest Mass, photons vanish upon Measurement

 

Light obviously differs from 'matter': the nature of light can be determined only by indirect observations such as diffraction and the photoelectric effect, whereas material objects can usually be seen ([Open University, S103.7] The Quantum World, pg. 82.).

 

 

Living (and Conscious?) quantum systems can "craft" Wave Function Collapses of own sub-systems

 

It is completely consistent, with current conceptions of quantum physics, to claim that (human) Consciousness can (A) cause; (B) control the "quantum jump" (or, T1 Wave Function Collapse) process: "truly random events in the brain [afford] greater scope for Consciousness to influence internal state-vector [Wave Function] collapse" (Eysenck & Sargent. Explaining the Unexplained, pp.136-149; cf. Amit Goswami's The Quantum Activist [DVD]). Indeed, (human) Consciousness can be considered as a "downward causing" epi-phenomena of brain activity, which, whilst being "compliant" & "consistent" w/ quantum mechanics, so that brain activity always obeys physical laws, actually exerts subtle influences on that brain bio-activity (neuronal firings, protein foldings & unfoldings, etc.) [Parrish. Nothing I See Means Anything, pg.80+]. And, such subtle influences could be explained, as Consciousness causing & controlling -- to wit, "crafting" -- wave function collapses (electron tunnelings across neuronal synapses, electronic configurations creating protein folding structure, etc.). The "magic" of mind, then, would "lurk" within these "quantum jump" processes. Spatial, and temporal, cross-correlations of the same, occurring across the brain, would be the "footprint" of Consciousness, in the biological tissues of the (human) brain.

 

In sum, Decoherence effects, quite crucial to quantum processes, reflect the usual & customary condition, of quantum 'particles', being embedded in "random & uncontrollable" Environments (Greenstein & Zajonc. Quantum Challenge.). However, it is consistent with current comprehensions of quantum physics, that Living, Coherent, & Conscious quantum systems, by providing an "ordered & structured" Environment for their quantum sub-systems to Entangle with, can "leverage" that order, to "order & craft" their own internal Wave Function Collapse processes ("random WFC from random Env., ordered WFC from ordered Env.").

 

 

Would a Localizing electron, WFC-ing into a vacant & available bound-state orbital, about some nucleus, need to Entangle with that nucleus, in a "synchronized WFC" process, a little like a "docking maneuver" between space-craft ???