The wave function as a mathematical description of a free particle's possible motion: The 2-slit problem with attempted detection

Quantum foundations are still unsettled, with mixed effects on science and society. By now it should be possible to obtain consensus on at least one issue: Are the fundamental constituents fields or particles? As this paper shows, experiment and theory imply unbounded fields, not bounded particles, are fundamental. This is especially clear for relativistic systems, implying it's also true of non-relativistic systems. Particles are epiphenomena arising from fields. Thus the Sc...

The meaning of the wave function has been a hot topic of debate since the early days of quantum mechanics. Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in this long-standing question. Is the wave function ontic, directly representing a state of reality, or epistemic, merely representing a state of (incomplete) knowledge, or something else? If the wave function is not ontic, then what, if any, is the underlying state of reality? If the wave function is indeed ontic, then exa...

We propose a simple numerical experiment of two slits interference of particles. It disproves the popular belief that such an interference is incompatible with a knowledge which slit each particle came through or, more generally, ``quantum particles could not have trajectories''. Our model is an illustration to the contextual interpretation of quantum probabilities.

Single-slit and two-slit interferometer measurements of electrons are analyzed within the realistic model of particle propagation. In a step by step procedure we show that all current models of interference are essentially non-local and demonstrate that the treatment of the quantum theory of motion is the simplest model for the scalar problem. In particular we give a novel interpretation of the quantum potential Q, which should be regarded as a non-classical and essentially s...

A new wave-particle non-dualistic interpretation for the quantum formalism is presented by proving that the Schr\"odinger wave function is an `{\it instantaneous resonant spatial mode}' in which the quantum particle moves. The probabilities in quantum mechanics arise only for the observer's perspective due to the nature of doing experiments but they do not exist in Nature. In other words, quantum mechanics itself is not a probabilistic theory. This view-point is proved by der...

Is the wave function a physical reality traveling through our apparatus? Is it a real wave, or it is only a mathematical tool for calculating probabilities of results of measurements? Different interpretations of the quantum mechanics (QM) assume different answers to this question. It is shown in this article that the assumption that the wave function is a real wave entails a contradiction with the predictions of the QM, when the special relativity is invoked. Therefore, this...

I argue that the marquis characteristics of the quantum-mechanical double-slit experiment (point detection, random distribution, Born rule) can be explained using Schroedinger's equation alone, if one takes into account that, for any atom in a detector, there is a small but nonzero gap between its excitation energy and the excitation energies of all other relevant atoms in the detector (isolated-levels assumption). To illustrate the point I introduce a toy model of a detector...

A particle is described as a non-spreading wave packet satisfying a linear equation within the framework of special relativity. Young's and other interference experiments are explained with a hypothesis that there is a coupling interaction between the peaked and non-peaked pieces of the wave packet. This explanation of the interference experiments provides a realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics. The interpretation implies that there is physical reality of particles a...

Self-interference embodies the essence of the particle-wave interpretation of quantum mechanics (QM). According to the Copenhagen particle-wave interpretation of QM, self-interference by a double slit requires a large transverse coherence of the incident wavepacket such that it covers the separation between the slits. Bohmian dynamics provides a first step in the separation of the particle-wave character of particles by introducing deterministic trajectories guided by a pilot...

It is shown that neither the wave picture nor the ordinary particle picture offers a satisfactory explanation of the double-slit experiment. The Physicists who have been successful in formulating theories in the Newtonian Paradigm with its corresponding ontology find it difficult to interpret Quantum Physics which deals with particles that are not sensory perceptible. A different interpretation of Quantum Physics based in a different ontology is presented in what follows. Acc...