Objective Quantum Fields, Retrocausality and Ontology.

Peter D Drummond,Margaret D Reid

doi:10.3390/e23060749

Abstract

We compare different approaches to quantum ontology. In particular, we discuss an interpretation of quantum mechanics that we call objective quantum field theory (OQFT), which involves retrocausal fields. Here, objective implies the existence of fields independent of an observer, but not that the results of conjugate measurements are predetermined: the theory is contextual. The ideas and analyses of Einstein and Bohr through to more recent approaches to objective realism are discussed. We briefly describe measurement induced projections, the guided wave interpretation, many-universes, consistent histories and modal theories. These earlier interpretations are compared with OQFT. We argue that this approach is compatible both with Bohr’s quantum complementarity and Einstein’s objective realism.

Highlights

Our proposal is presented in [9], and is motivated by the Q-function phase space representation. It is an objective model of fields in space and time. It represents the known physics of quantum fields, our most fundamental theory
The idea of future boundary conditions in electrodynamics was proposed over a century ago as a field-free variational action principle with direct action at a distance [50,51,52]
The fact that a measuring device can disturb what it measures does not contradict the idea that there is objective behaviour in the universe, nor does this require an observer. Bohr summarized this in his response to the Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen paper [37]: “ this new feature of natural philosophy means a radical revision of our attitude as regards physical reality.”

Summary

Introduction

Other no-go theorems [19,20] have ruled out retrocausal explanations of Bell non-locality, or point to fine-tuning problems for classical noncyclic causal processes [21,22] None of these rule out an objective, contextual theory with cyclic loops [23], as proposed here. Measurements involve the same physical laws as anything else Another advantage is to give a description consistent with relativity, that does not require violation of special relativity with superluminal disturbances, as in early guiding-wave theories [25]. Scientific theories are always provisional, so this proposal of an alternative is an existence theorem, demonstrating that modeling quantum reality with physical field configurations in space-time is not impossible.

Objective

Causality and Retrocausality

Other Approaches to Quantum Ontology

Summary