Questions tagged [bohmian-mechanics]

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Why is the Bohm quantum potential considered a potential?

In Bohmian mechanics, the term $$\begin{equation} Q = -\frac{\hbar^2}{2m}\frac{\nabla^2 R}{R} \end{equation}$$ is regarded as the quantum potential term. However this is merely a term from the real ...
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Is Pilot Wave Theory contextual? How?

The Kochen Specker theorem says that hidden variable theories must be contextual. I'm not seeing anything in the definition of Bohmian mechanics that makes the hidden variable variable assignments ...
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Why is entanglement not explainable by pilot waves theory?

It has been demonstrated (physically and mathematically) that Bohmian mechanics (pilot waves) produce the same statistical results for the following phenomena: Double slit banding Tunneling ...
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How does pilot wave theory expain delayed choice quantum eraser experiment?

I have heard that pilot wave theory adequately explains all quantum phenomenon and is an alternative to the more mainstream Copenhagen interpretation. We have an experiment called the delayed choice ...
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How does the Pusey-Barret-Rudolph (PBR) theorem not just disprove hidden variables?

In Quantum Mechanics, two different wavefunctions can have a non-zero probability of finding a particle at a position $x$. According to hidden variable theories, if a particle is found at $x$, it was ...
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Why does the Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph (PBR) theorem focus on one-to-many relationships?

The PBR theorem says that one state of a hidden variable theory cannot correspond to multiple pure states of Quantum Mechanics. But, wouldn't hidden variable theories be of a many-to-one nature anyway?...
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What happens with the positions in De Broglie–Bohm theory after a filtering mesurement?

According to Quantum Mechanics (QM) after a filtering measurement of an observable $\hat{\text{M}}$ where the result $M_1$ was obtained, the wave function is projected to a Hilbert subspace which is ...
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How does pilot wave theory explain "identical particle" interference?

Pilot wave theory says that there exist waves in 3D space which carry particles. This explains, say, the double slit experiment. But this does not explain the behavior of identical particles. ...
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Can the pilot wave theory explain why the circumference of an orbit has to be an integer multiple of the wavelength of the electron orbiting it?

Consider the atomic model proposed by Bohr. The velocity of an electron at any orbit is given by the following equation: $$v= n \dfrac{h}{2\pi mr}$$ Now, this equation stems from the fact that, quote, ...
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Is Bohmian mechanics an interpretation of quantum mechanics?

I don't understand why some people argue that Bohmian quantum mechanics is just an interpretation of quantum mechanics. In addition to the usual Schrödinger equation, we have the following ...
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Identical particles in Bohmian quantum mechanics

Particles can be distinguished by their trajectories in Bohmian quantum mechanics and there is no natural reason for imposing symmetrization (or anti-symmetrization) of the wave function of the ...
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Bohms equation of motion on the lattice

Consider a simple model with one particle on a one-dimensional lattice $\varepsilon \mathbb{Z}$ with lattice distance $\varepsilon$. At every time $t$, the particle has a position $Q(t)\in \varepsilon\...
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How are can there be initial conditions in Bohmian mechanics that disobey the Born rule if Gleason's theorem is true?

Gleason's theorem constrains the possible measures that are allowed on Hilbert spaces of dimension $\ge 3$. It is often said that Gleason's theorem essentially says that the Born rule is the ...
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Do I understand De Broglie–Bohm theory correctly?

In the interpretation of quantum mechanics developed by David Bohm (De Broglie–Bohm theory), the wave function is considered as a real-life physical field that evolves according to the Schrödinger ...
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What is the ontological status of gauge fields/virtual particles/electron radiation in Dirac sea model of Bohmian QFT?

I have been reading about this model - it is a model without actual particle creation or annihilation, particles move deterministically according to Bohm's law, the Dirac sea is used to explain away ...
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In Bohmian mechanics does a pilot wave have a mass and what is the mass?

In Bohmian mechanics does a pilot wave have a mass and what is the mass?
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Why is Pilot Wave Theory nonlocal?

I have read that the Pilot Wave Theory is nonlocal and can therefore be excluded. Why is the PW Theory nonlocal? Isn't QM also nonlocal, as we can see it from entanglement? I already googled the ...
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Wigner friend experiment with qbits

Suppose that in his isolated box, Wigner's friend measures a qbit in state $|→⟩=\dfrac{|↑⟩+|↓⟩}{\sqrt{2}}$ along the vertical axe. Then, he sends Wigner (who remains outside the box) a qbit in the ...
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How does the Bohm interpretation/pilot wave theory explain particles getting spontaneously created and destroyed?

Pilot wave theory says that classical particles are riding on waves. Quantum field theory says that particles are the excitations of a field. Both of these descriptions seem like essentially the same ...
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Particles in an interferometer in a gravitational field

Let's assume one has a standard interferometer, consisting of an incoming beam which gets splitted in beam I and II and then culminated again. Now the interferometer is placed in a gravitational field,...
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Different expressions for the guidance equation - how to show equivalence?

I assume it's not too difficult but I don't know how to show the equivalence between two different expressions of the guidance equation in Bohmian mechanics. The following is the form I already ...
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Why can we not know the position of a particle in Bohmian Mechanics?

I can't seem to understand this. In Bohmian mechanics, particles have definite positions and are guided by a wave function governed deterministically by Schrodinger's equation. So if you knew a ...
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What does happen if we use a delta function for density on the De Broglie–Bohm theory?

I was reading Pilot wave theory and De Broglie–Bohm theory pages on Wikipedia that I found how similar they are comparing to classical physics and I wondered what happens if we just replace the ...
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Spacetime as a medium for electromagnetic waves? [closed]

We typically break waves into two separate types mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves and treat them entirely differently based primarily on the observation that electromagnetic waves don't ...
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If we know the inital state of a quantum field can we predict its later state?

If we have the wavefunctional $\Phi[\psi]$ which tells us the probability density for finding $\psi$. Let's say we know the exact field state at $t=0;$ $\psi(x,0)$. Can we use the wavefunctional $\Phi[...
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What are the objections to stochastic quantum mechanics? [closed]

I recently discovered the stochastic interpretation of quantum mechanics, which is different from the De Broglie-Bohm theory The best article I found on it was very much a comparison of the two by ...
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Regarding Pilot Wave Theory [duplicate]

Not as popular as the Copenhagen interpretation perhaps, but I'm truly intrigues to know the intricacies of the de Broglie-Bohm Theory. However, I could find absolutely no source which could teach me ...
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How does Bohmian mechanics explain the effect of information in the double-slit experiment?

De Broglie and David Bohm found a method (1952) that explains the double-slit experiment and its variations, which are so central to QM, in an intuitive way without appeal to probability, wave-...
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How do electrons stay in orbitals in Bohmian Mechanics?

I've been reading various realist interpretations of quantum mechanics and in Bohmian Mechanics, I found that the "wave" aspect of a quantum particle is removed from the particle to preserve ...
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Is it possible to split a photon into two? And if so, how would Bohmian mechanics explain that?

In standard QM, photons are waves, but in Bohmian mechanics, photons are particles being guided by waves. So, if you split the wave, do you also split the particle? How would that work?
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Resolving the measurement problem with mathematical theorems? [closed]

The key debate, around the measurement problem is whether collapse should be interpreted as a physical process(Bohmian Mechanics) or as an immaterial process(e.g. Copenhagen Interpretation, ...
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Separation of Klein-Gordon-/Dirac-equation (Bohmian-mechanics)

With the function $R{ e }^{ \frac { i }{ \hbar } S }$ one can separate the Schrödinger equation $$i \hbar \frac{\partial \psi}{\partial t}=\left(-\frac{\hbar^{2}}{2 m} \nabla^{2}+V\right) \psi$$ into ...
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How does the superposition of states come up in Bohmian Mechanics?

In Bohmian Mechanics, it assumes a universal wave field in which particle's motion can be calculated using Newton's law of motion: \begin{equation} m\frac{d^{2}x}{dt^{2}} = - \nabla(V+U) \end{...
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Can the pilot wave in Bohmian mechanics be derived from velocity-dependent potential?

In the derivation of the pilot wave, Bohm wrote the Schrodinger equation in this way: \begin{equation} \frac{\partial{S}}{\partial{t}} + \frac{(\nabla{S})^2}{2m} + V(x,t) - \frac{\hbar^2}{4m}[\frac{...
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De-Broglie Wavelength and the Pilot Wave Theory

I researched a lot of questions on De-Broglie waves on this website and discovered a dense fog of confusion amongst everyone. Louis De-Broglie proposed "Matter Waves" and a simple equation describing ...
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Relativistic Bohmian Mechanics [duplicate]

Is there a relativistic interpretation of Bohmian Mechanics, akin to QFT for the Copenhagen Interpretation?
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Bohmian vs Copenhagen Interpretation

Is there any experiment that could settle the debate between De Broglie - Bohm Pilot Wave Theory and the Copenhagen Interpretation?
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Is 'measurement' deterministic in the pilot wave theory?

From what I read, measurements in pilot wave theory affect the particles as well as the guiding waves. Is it a random process or is everything deterministic according to the theory?
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Derivation of the Guiding Wave equation

I've been searching around the internet for a derivation of the guiding wave equation, but I can't find a derivation anywhere. I know that Bohmian Mechanics is not a mainstream idea but I was hoping ...
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Does this thought experiment proves that Standard Quantum Mechanics and Pilot Wave Theory make different predictions?

Here is a thought experiment that is supposed to show that standard quantum mechanics and pilot wave theory do not make the same prediction : Take the double slit experiment, and add a detector in ...
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In the pilot-wave theory, is the quantum potential moving electrons randomly inside atoms?

As we know, in the pilot-wave theory (Bohmian mechanics), particles are guided on certain trajectories by the wavefunction. Here (In Bohmian mechanics, do electrons move inside an atom?) I asked about ...
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In Bohmian mechanics, it the uncertainty due to non-locality?

In the pilot-wave interpretation of quantum mechanics, each particle is driven by the pilot wave on the universal configuration space, and therefore its trajectory is determined nonlocally, and ...
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In Bohmian mechanics, do electrons move inside an atom?

Look at http://www.bohmian-mechanics.net/whatisbm_pictures_hydrogen.html. It is mentioned that in the rest states of a bound electron, the position of the electron is stationary, since the ...
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Bosons in Bohmian mechanics

I would like to know if even bosons in the same quantum state, like in a BEC, can be discerned (by their positions) in Bohm's mechanics.
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In a pilot-wave model, is knowing the position of the particle sufficient for predicting its behavior?

Suppose that we somehow exactly know the position of an electron before hitting the double-slit structure (for example we know it's 20cm away from the structure and it's closer to the left slit). In ...
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How does Bohmian Mechanics explain superconductivity?

I'm looking for sources that discuss how Bohmian Mechanics explains superconductivity. Are there still Cooper pairs? Phonons? I saw one vague reference to vortices, but no details. This is my first ...
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Can quantum randomness be somehow explained by classical uncertainty? [closed]

In quantum mechanics, the outcome of each measurement is random, distributed according to the squared amplitude of the wave function obtained from the Schrodinger's equation. Now, can someone suggest ...
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How could quantum effects occur in the early universe without an observer?

In inflationary cosmology, primordial quantum fluctuations in the process of inflation are considered responsible for the asymmetry and lumpiness of the universe that was shaped. However, according to ...
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Can particles popped into existence from the vacuum have electromagnetic effects on other particles?

I know my question might have problems, but I am curious about it. In quantum field theory, particle-antiparticle pairs continuously pop in and out of existence from vacuum. These particles have a ...
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What are the similarities/differences between the behaviors of Quantum particles and bouncing droplets? [duplicate]

Bouncing droplets on a fluid surface show many weird behaviors of the quantum world. Look at this for example: https://arxiv.org/abs/1307.6920 They can show tunneling, double-slit interference ...
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