Midterm Exam #2

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PHIL 146: Philosophy of Physics

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1. What is the ontology and the dynamics of GRWf (with the flash ontology) and GRWm

(with the mass density ontology)? What is the ontology and the dynamics of Bohmian

mechanics? Please aim for precision and completeness in your answers.

The two versions of the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber (GRW) theory, referred to as GRWf and

GRWm, have different dynamics and ontologies. According to the "flash ontology" of GRWf,

localized particle-like flashes in configuration space result from spontaneous, random wave

function collapses that happen at certain periods (Maudlin, 2019). The dynamics entail a mass-

proportional process, in which the mass of the system determines the chance of a collapse.

Rather than being an emergent phenomenon, the wave function collapse is implied to be a basic

physical process by the flash ontology.

However, GRWm offers an alternative viewpoint with its "mass density ontology." This

variation incorporates a continuous mass density distribution connected to the particles as part of

the ontology. A localized concentration of mass results from the spontaneous collapse of the

mass density at random points in the dynamics of GRWm. The collapse events in GRWm are

spontaneous and stochastic, much as in GRWf, however, instead of a particle-like flash, the

collapse occurs in the mass density.

Bohmian mechanics is a deterministic explanation of quantum physics, unlike the stochastic

collapse models of GRW. Bohmian mechanics' ontology comprises particles with defined

locations under the control of a wave function. The dynamics are dictated by a guiding equation

for the particle trajectories and the Schrödinger equation for the wave function. The motion of

the particles follows the statistical predictions of conventional quantum mechanics. Bohmian

mechanics offers an alternate, deterministic viewpoint on quantum events in contrast to collapse

models by maintaining a continuous, deterministic development of the whole system.

problem here)? How does Bohmian mechanics solve the measurement problem? Please feel

free to use Schrödinger’s cat to illustrate.

The GRW theory introduces a spontaneous and stochastic collapse of the wave function to solve

the measurement issue in quantum mechanics. In conventional quantum physics, a unitary

operator controls a quantum system's development, and wave function collapse, which is usually

seen as a discontinuous, non-deterministic event, defines observations. The absence of a well-

defined and widely accepted mechanism for the wave function collapse gives rise to the

measurement difficulty. By including spontaneous collapses, GRW theory offers a precise

mechanism for the wave function's collapse during measurements, so it offers a solution

(Maudlin, 2019). This collapse offers an objective and dynamic answer to the measurement issue

since it happens randomly rather than being initiated by any external measuring equipment.

Conversely, Bohmian mechanics answers the measurement issue by proposing the presence of

hidden variables that direct the quantum system's evolution—particle locations, to be exact. In

the setting of Bohmian physics, the indeterminacy inherent in normal quantum mechanics is

avoided in Schrödinger's Cat, a thought experiment featuring a cat in a superposition of living

and dead states. According to Bohmian mechanics, evolution is deterministic and the state of the

cat is dictated by particle placements. By giving a precise, deterministic explanation of the

system's development throughout the measurement procedure, the measurement issue is avoided

without the need for a non-deterministic collapse of the wave function.

3. What is non-locality (as proved in Bell’s theorem)? In what way is the GRW theory non-

local? In what way is Bohmian mechanics non-local?

entangled particles show correlations that local hidden variable theories are unable to account

for. Bell's theorem shows that a theory can't be consistent with locality or realism if it follows

certain acceptable assumptions. Realism asserts the presence of pre-existing features that are

independent of measurement, whereas locality suggests that distant occurrences cannot instantly

impact one another. Experimental confirmation has been obtained for both the violation of

locality and realism in quantum physics.

Within the framework of GRW theory, non-locality results from the instantaneous collapse of the

wave function, which takes place at a spacelike distance from the system being measured. This

violates the locality assumption inherent in classical physics since the collapse of the wave

function in one region of the system affects the collapse probability at other geographically

distant sites. In a similar vein, Bohmian mechanics is non-local as it makes use of the idea of a

"quantum potential," which is a non-local force that directs particle paths (Maudlin, 2019).

Regardless of the geographical separation, the locations of the particles are immediately coupled,

resulting in non-local interactions that add to the theory's overall non-local character.

4.How is the conditional wave function defined in Bohmian mechanics? Please be very

clear. Can the same conditional wave function be defined in the GRW theory? Why or why

not?

The conditional wave function, sometimes called the quantum potential or the guiding wave in

Bohmian physics, is a mathematical number that acts as an auxiliary in influencing the paths of

particles. The conditional wave function of a system is recovered by taking into account just the

particle locations, given the total wave function of the system, which comprises both the wave

function and the particle positions. It may be calculated mathematically by dividing the absolute
value of the entire wave function by its phase and calculating the square root of that result. The

dynamics of the particle paths are then determined by the resultant conditional wave function,

which directs them in a manner compatible with traditional quantum mechanics predictions.

It is not easy to define an equivalent conditional wave function in the context of the GRW

theory. Unlike in Bohmian mechanics, the GRW theory involves spontaneous collapses of the

wave function. These collapses are not led by any auxiliary wave function. Not unlike the

quantum potential in Bohmian physics, the collapse events in GRW are intrinsically stochastic

and do not follow a deterministic guiding field. Because the GRW theory relies on a

fundamentally different process for the collapse of the wave function, it cannot directly relate to

the idea of a conditional wave function, which is employed in Bohmian physics to govern

particle paths.

5. How does Bohmian mechanics explain the interference patterns in the Double Slit

experiment? How does it explain the absence of interference patterns in the Double Slit

with Monitoring experiment? Hint: you may use Figure 24, Figure 25, and Figure 26 from

MAU in your answer, but please make sure to explain what the curves mean physically.

According to Bohmian mechanics, the interaction between the particle and the related quantum

potential explains the interference patterns seen in the Double Slit experiment. The system's

quantum state, which includes the particle and any possible interference pattern, is described by

the entire wave function. The particle's path as it travels through the slits is guided by the

quantum potential. The observable interference pattern is produced when the particle's paths

interfere constructively or destructively with the screen, depending on the quantum potential.

Because of the constructive and destructive interference of the particles' Bohmian paths, the
interference pattern physically represents the probability distribution of the particles on the

screen.

Continuous monitoring in the Double Slit with Monitoring experiment breaks the coherence of

the particle's pathways. As the particle locations are continuously measured, the Bohmian

trajectories are disturbed by the act of measurement. With constant observation, the particle's

wave function collapses and the interference pattern vanishes (Maudlin, 2019). Physically, the

disturbance brought about by the measuring procedure is what accounts for the lack of

interference in this instance. When monitoring is added, the trajectories become more

deterministically constrained to single slits, mimicking the behavior of classical particles, as seen

by the changed curves in Bohmian trajectories. This highlights the intricate relationship in

Bohmian physics between the quantum potential, wave function, and measurement procedure.
 Reference

Maudlin T. (2019). Philosophy of Physics: Chapter Title: Relativistic Quantum Field Theory.

Princeton University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc77hrx.10