TFNR - Wavefunction collapse
Many of the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics, in the context of the measurement problem, reckon on the collapse of the wave function, albeit with different meanings.
Wavefunction collapse, or state vector reduction, is one of two known quantum processes (along with the continuous evolution described by the Schrödinger equation) whereby a wave function, initially in a superposition of several quantum states (called eigenstates), reduces to a single state due to one interaction / observation / measurement.
The collapse that follows the measurement appears to transform the observed quantum object, which passes from a superposition of states to a defined quantum state.
First of all, let's reiterate that the superposition of states does not really consist of what quantum mechanics says about it. Or rather, it is true that the superposition tells us what the probability of obtaining one of the eigenstates is. It is not true that "magically" the same quantum object is "overall" in two states.
But then what really happens? We use the term happen because, as mentioned several times, Reality is not made up of states (useful idealizations for the description of phenomena and the evolution of physical systems). Nothing exists permanently (but the Source of Reality, in its two coupled aspects, the Fundamental Force and the Elementary Field). Everything is incessantly evolving, mutating. Variation is the foundation of Reality. Everything exists because happens. Events, Processes. Even when we talk about objects (classical, quantum objects, etc.) we are simplifying, but we should always talk about "Processes of Events and Relations that organize them".
With these clarifications, we can return to our quantum object, describing it in terms of this Knowledge System: an InfoStructure, type Vortex, sub-type elementary Vortex, e.g. an electron. We have seen what it means to say that an electron has spin up or down.
Summing up:
- we must distinguish between the overall "Spin" quantum state of the InfoStructure and the quantum states of the point / portion of the volume of the Elementary Field which from time to time supports / hosts the InfoStructure in question
- the Information that defines the internal structure / organization / distribution of the InfoStructure (of the electron in this case) is the scheme of Relations of the dynamics of the event points of the Field, the set of correlations between the indeterministic / deterministic processes (describable through mixed processes, with stochastic component and deterministic component) of the Elementary Action in its Modes / Components (which determine the shape / "Geometry", Mass, Motion, Charge, Spin of the particle)
- the overall "Spin" quantum state of the InfoStructure is incessantly produced by the set of the dynamics of the correlations of the dynamics of the event points (which show indeterminate components in addition to the determined components that give structure and properties to the InfoStructure)
- just as different event points, within the limits defined by the scheme of organization (we could define it as the Spin "attractor") of the correlations that define the InfoStructure, can show orientations of the Spin axis different from that of other points, even different portions of the electron can show different Spin orientations, differences partly due to the specific shape of the Vortex-type InfoStructures, but above all caused by the indeterminate component of the dynamics of the event points of the Elementary Field. You can think of a solenoid (where the "lines of force" have different orientations around the central axis although following a precise pattern, precisely solenoidal) agitated in space (let's imagine that the agitation movement is so fast that the field lines bend in a thousand different ways in different portions of the solenoidal field, while tending towards the canonical shape which would be restored immediately at the end of the agitation, which we could call the attractor of the solenoidal shape)
- all this 'is not fixed, but evolves incessantly as described by the Schrodinger equation, so the result of a measurement depends on various factors, partly indeterminate and partly determined. We cannot be certain of the outcome of a single measurement, but we can statistically predict (probability) the outcome of a set of measurements
- due to the intrinsic limitation of our measurement instruments we cannot perform tomographies of the volume of space that supports the particle being measured, therefore we cannot have a dynamic map of its "internal" processes. We cannot know the evolution of the indeterministic / deterministic processes of the Elementary Field and their correlations that produce and govern the evolution of the electron and determine its "quantum states", its properties (shape / Geometry, Mass, Motion, Charge, Spin , etc.), its overall dynamics
- we can therefore say that the electron as a whole does not have a defined Spin state, we can only predict the outcome probability of a set of measurements
- the Spin of the electron, as a result of the correlation of the indeterminate / determined dynamic processes of the points / portions, is not quantized (Up or Down). Each event point shows its own Spin axis direction, fluctuating around an "attractor" direction, partly indeterminate due to the natural indeterminate dynamics of the Elementary Field, partly determined by the correlation scheme that gives shape to the InfoStructure
- the quantization of the Spin axis and the collapse of the wave function which describes its evolution at the level of the entire particle are produced by the interaction between the InfoStructure under observation and the Infostructure(s) used for measurement and from their properties. In the case of Spin measurement, a magnetic field is used (a Field potential, a specific organization of the dynamics of the event points of the Elementary Field, of the orientation of the Component of Elementary Action that we call "Rotation:AxisOrientation" of the event points, obtained by use of a magnet, essentially an object, a Physical Form, a set of InfoStructures, with non-zero correlation of their overall Spin). A magnet exposes two poles. And in fact there are two possible eigenstates in measuring Spin.
- the immersion of an electron (with overall Spin partly indeterminate and evolving over time) in a volume of the Elementary Field with non-zero correlation of the orientation of the Rotation: AxisOrientation of the Elementary Events (magnetic potential), produces an increase in the overall correlation of the orientation of the Spin axes of the points / portions of the InfoStructure under observation, which, from that moment and until subsequent interactions with other InfoStructures and with the natural indeterminate dynamics of the Field, will exhibit a substantial unity of the quantum state that we call Spin (for example a subsequent measurement, sufficiently close in time, will continue to be Up or Down) -> this is essentially the collapse of the wavefunction.
A further summary: 1) we only see the structure as a whole and the overall quantum state, 2a) the measurement can set the overall quantum state by setting the quantum states of points/portions (e.g. rotation, different weights in different directions at different points/portions of the InfoStructure), 2b) the measurement gives the quantum state with reference to the center(s) of the InfoStructures, not to the entire Structure. This applies to the position of the particle, to its mass, or to the electrical interaction (e.g. by measuring the charge of the particle one obtains the charge as if it were concentrated in a point, as if the particle were point-like).
Therefore, the superposition of quantum states, the measurement and consequent collapse of the wave function, from the physical point of view, of the organization of the Elementary Field, of the Elementary Action and of the Structures that are present in it, are very different from how represented by Quantum Mechanics.
Superposition is not a superposition of quantum states of the same structure as a whole, but is a condition of co-presence in the same structure of different dynamic organizations of its pinpoint events in different portions, which evolve over time as indicated by the Schrodinger equation. Measurement is always ina interaction, "inter"-"Action", mutual Action, sharing, exchange of Action, which modifies the observed structure and the observing Structure(s) (measurement apparatus).
This Inter-Action produces an internal reorganization of the observed Structure (which we see as a pure quantum state after the collapse, e.g. Spin up, or a defined position in space, or a specific quantity of momentum, energy, etc.), which from that moment begins to evolve autonomously, as well described by the Schrodinger equation, and subject to further interactions with the environment, which can trigger phenomena such as decoherence, etc.
Links to the tables of contents of TFNR Paper
