Newton force from wave function collapse: speculation and test

Lajos Diósi

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/504/1/012020

Abstract

The Diosi-Penrose model of quantum-classical boundary postulates gravity-related spontaneous wave function collapse of massive degrees of freedom. The decoherence effects of the collapses are in principle detectable if not masked by the overwhelming environmental decoherence. But the DP (or any other, like GRW, CSL) spontaneous collapses are not detectable themselves, they are merely the redundant formalism of spontaneous decoherence. To let DP collapses become testable physics, recently we extended the DP model and proposed that DP collapses are responsible for the emergence of the Newton gravitational force between massive objects. We identified the collapse rate, possibly of the order of 1/ms, with the rate of emergence of the Newton force. A simple heuristic emergence (delay) time was added to the Newton law of gravity. This non-relativistic delay is in peaceful coexistence with Einstein's relativistic theory of gravitation, at least no experimental evidence has so far surfaced against it. We derive new predictions of such a 'lazy' Newton law that will enable decisive laboratory tests with available technologies. The simple equation of 'lazy' Newton law deserves theoretical and experimental studies in itself, independently of the underlying quantum foundational considerations.

Highlights

The local mass density is universally enduring random collapses (disentanglement) by the hidden devices that forbid macroscopic quantum uncertainties of massive d.o.f. and, in particular, prevent Schrodinger Cats of being created
The interactions with light d.o.f., e.g. with the surrounding thermal gas, will no way block the unlimited expansion of the c.o.m. quantum uncertainty
Including the author, the problem grows physical because the von Neumann collapse of Schrodinger Cats provoke macroscopic violation of all basic conservation laws [10]

Summary

Introduction

The local mass density is universally enduring random collapses (disentanglement) by the hidden devices that forbid macroscopic quantum uncertainties of massive d.o.f. and, in particular, prevent Schrodinger Cats of being created. Independently of the detailed mechanism, the emergence rate/time of Newton gravity is related (proportional) to the wave function collapse rate/time of the sources. We outline how this hypothesis would lead to a particular modification of the standard Newton theory, offering robust effects compared to an environmentally masked spontaneous decoherence.

Results

Conclusion