Alternative approach to quantum phenomena

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Found. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00734564· OSTI ID:6179820

Wignall, J W.G.

This paper outlines the qualitative foundations of a quasiclassical theory in which particles are pictured as spatially extended periodic excitations of a universal background field, interacting with each other via nonlinearity in the equations of motion for that field, and undergoing collapse to a much smaller volume if and when they are detected. The theory is based as far as possible directly on experiment, rather than on the existing quantum mechanical formalism, and it offers simple physical interpretations of such concepts as mass, 4-momentum, interaction, potentials, and quantization; it may lead directly to the standard equations of quantum theory, such as the multiparticle Schroedinger equation, without going through the conventional process of quantizing a classical theory. The theory also provides an alternative framework in which to discuss wave-particle duality and the quantum measurement problem; in particular, it is suggested that the unpredictability of quantum phenomena may arise from deterministic chaos in the behavior of the background field.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia)
• OSTI ID: 6179820
• Journal Information: Found. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Found. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 18:6; ISSN FNDPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400 -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
657002* -- Theoretical & Mathematical Physics-- Classical & Quantum Mechanics
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CLASSICAL MECHANICS
COMPTON WAVELENGTH
DETECTION
DIAGRAMS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DISTANCE
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FEYNMAN DIAGRAM
FIELD THEORIES
FOUR MOMENTUM TRANSFER
INTERACTION RANGE
INTERACTIONS
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MATTER
MEASURE THEORY
MECHANICS
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE MODELS
QUANTIZATION
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RADIATIONS
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
SPACE-TIME
TRAJECTORIES
WAVE EQUATIONS