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Killer Collapse: Empirically Probing the Philosophically Unsatisfactory Region of GRW

Sebens, Charles (2014) Killer Collapse: Empirically Probing the Philosophically Unsatisfactory Region of GRW. In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

GRW theory offers precise laws for the collapse of the wave function. These collapses are characterized by two new constants, λ and σ. Recent work has put experimental upper bounds on the collapse rate, λ. Lower bounds on λ have been more controversial since GRW begins to take on a many-worlds character for small values of λ. Here I examine GRW in this odd region of parameter space where collapse events act as natural disasters that destroy branches of the wave function along with their occupants. Our continued survival provides evidence that we don't live in a universe like that. I offer a quantitative analysis of how such evidence can be used to assess versions of GRW with small collapse rates in an effort to move towards more principled and experimentally-informed lower bounds for λ.


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Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Sebens, Charlescsebens@gmail.com
Keywords: GRW, many-worlds interpretation, Everettian quantum mechanics, collapse rate
Subjects: General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Mr. Charles Sebens
Date Deposited: 01 Mar 2015 01:24
Last Modified: 01 Mar 2015 01:24
Item ID: 11350
Subjects: General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: 23 June 2014
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11350

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