Collapses, Quantum Jumps, and the Born interpretation

In summary, the conversation discusses the existence of collapse in quantum mechanics and considers different phenomena that could demonstrate its existence. The no-collapse people, or many-worlds people, argue that these phenomena can be explained through different mechanisms in their interpretation. However, the concept of collapse is not a fundamental part of quantum mechanics and is only present in certain interpretations.
  • #1
jimgraber
Gold Member
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In my mind they are all the same.

But some serious physicists (Schlosshauer, for example) claim there is no evidence for the existence of collapse.

What about Lyman alpha emission, where an electron in a hydrogen atom “jumps” from level two to level one and emits a photon?

Or the photoionization effect, or a Stern Gerlach experiment?

Those all seem to me to be very obvious demonstrations of the existence of collapse.

What am I missing?

Or what would the no-collapse people reply?
 
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  • #2
jimgraber said:
In my mind they are all the same.

But some serious physicists (Schlosshauer, for example) claim there is no evidence for the existence of collapse.

What about Lyman alpha emission, where an electron in a hydrogen atom “jumps” from level two to level one and emits a photon?

Or the photoionization effect, or a Stern Gerlach experiment?

Those all seem to me to be very obvious demonstrations of the existence of collapse.

What am I missing?

Or what would the no-collapse people reply?
The no-collapse people are perhaps many worlds people who claim that nothing actually jumped at all because all possibilities co-exist in parallel worlds together.

IMHO this is many-words, non-sense, but it seems a lot of people find it intellectually satisfying.
 
  • #3
The short answer is that all those phenomena are explained with different mechanisms in different interpretations.

For many worlds, they are explained via entanglement and decoherence. The Stern-Gerlacch system evolves into a superposition of the electron having gone up w/ the instrument reading "electron went up" and the electron having gone down w/ the instrument reading "electron went down". The two branches don't interfere with each other thereafter because the environment acts as a massive heat/information sponge (... until we saturate the available capacity and hit heat death), creating thermodynamically uneraseable differences. Non-interfering branches look classical-ish.
 
  • #4
gill1109 said:
The no-collapse people are perhaps many worlds people who claim that nothing actually jumped at all because all possibilities co-exist in parallel worlds together.

Actually collapse isn't part of the QM formalism - just some interpretations.

I think MW is nonsense as well. But having studied Wallaces book mathematically its very elegant and beautiful..

Thanks
Bill
 

Related to Collapses, Quantum Jumps, and the Born interpretation

1. What is the difference between a collapse and a quantum jump?

A collapse refers to the sudden change of a system's state into one of its possible states when it is observed or measured. A quantum jump, on the other hand, describes the instantaneous change of a quantum system from one state to another without going through any intermediate states. While both terms describe changes in a system's state, a collapse is associated with measurement, while a quantum jump can occur without any external influence.

2. How does the Born interpretation explain the collapse of a wavefunction?

The Born interpretation, also known as the Copenhagen interpretation, states that the wavefunction of a quantum system represents the probability of finding the system in a particular state upon measurement. When a measurement is made, the wavefunction collapses onto one of its possible states, with the probability of each state determined by the squared magnitude of its corresponding wavefunction coefficient.

3. Can quantum jumps be predicted or controlled?

No, quantum jumps are considered to be random and unpredictable. The probability of a quantum system undergoing a jump is determined by the system's wavefunction, but the exact timing and outcome of the jump cannot be predicted. Additionally, quantum jumps cannot be controlled or influenced by external factors, as they are determined solely by the system's wavefunction.

4. Can the Born interpretation be applied to macroscopic objects?

The Born interpretation is generally only applied to microscopic objects, such as atoms and subatomic particles. This is because the wavefunction of macroscopic objects is incredibly complex and difficult to measure or observe. Additionally, macroscopic objects are subject to classical mechanics, where the concept of wavefunction collapse does not apply.

5. How does the theory of quantum mechanics explain the phenomenon of entanglement?

Entanglement is a phenomenon where two or more particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of the other, even when they are separated by large distances. This can be explained by the concept of superposition in quantum mechanics, where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously. When two particles are entangled, they share a single wavefunction, meaning that a measurement on one particle can instantly affect the state of the other particle, regardless of the distance between them.

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