Bohmian Trajectories for Kerr–Newman Particles in Complex Space-Time

Complexified Liénard–Wiechert potentials simplify the mathematics of Kerr–Newman particles. Here we constrain them by fiat to move along Bohmian trajectories to see if anything interesting occurs, as their equations of motion are not known. A covariant theory due to Stueckelberg is used. This paper deviates from the traditional Bohmian interpretation of quantum mechanics since the electromagnetic interactions of Kerr–Newman particles are dictated by general relativity. A Gaussian wave function is used to produce the Bohmian trajectories, which are found to be multi-valued. A generalized analytic continuation is introduced which leads to an infinite number of trajectories. These include the entire set of Bohmian trajectories. This leads to multiple retarded times which come into play in complex space-time. If one weights these trajectories by their natural Bohmian weighting factors, then it is found that the particles do not radiate, that they are extended, and that they can have a finite electrostatic self energy, thus avoiding the usual divergence of the charged point particle. This effort does not in any way criticize or downplay the traditional Bohmian interpretation which does not assume the standard electromagnetic coupling to charged particles, but it suggests that a hybridization of Kerr–Newman particle theory with Bohmian mechanics might lead to interesting new physics, and maybe even the possibility of emergent quantum mechanics.     

Applied Bohmian mechanics

Bohmian mechanics provides an explanation of quantum phenomena in terms of point-like particles guided by wave functions. This review focuses on the use of nonrelativistic Bohmian mechanics to address practical problems, rather than on its interpretation. Although the Bohmian and standard quantum theories have different formalisms, both give exactly the same predictions for all phenomena. Fifteen years ago, the quantum chemistry community began to study the practical usefulness of Bohmian mechanics. Since then, the scientific community has mainly applied it to study the (unitary) evolution of single-particle wave functions, either by developing efficient quantum trajectory algorithms or by providing a trajectory-based explanation of complicated quantum phenomena. Here we present a large list of examples showing how the Bohmian formalism provides a useful solution in different forefront research fields for this kind of problems (where the Bohmian and the quantum hydrodynamic formalisms coincide). In addition, this work also emphasizes that the Bohmian formalism can be a useful tool in other types of (nonunitary and nonlinear) quantum problems where the influence of the environment or the nonsimulated degrees of freedom are relevant. This review contains also examples on the use of the Bohmian formalism for the many-body problem, decoherence and measurement processes. The ability of the Bohmian formalism to analyze this last type of problems for (open) quantum systems remains mainly unexplored by the scientific community. The authors of this review are convinced that the final status of the Bohmian theory among the scientific community will be greatly influenced by its potential success in those types of problems that present nonunitary and/or nonlinear quantum evolutions. A brief introduction of the Bohmian formalism and some of its extensions are presented in the last part of this review.     

Position measurements in the de Broglie–Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics

The de Broglie–Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics assigns positions and trajectories to particles. We analyze the validity of a formula for the velocities of Bohmian particles which makes the analysis of these trajectories particularly simple. We apply it to particle detectors of four different types and show that the detectors of three of these types lead to “surrealistic trajectories”, i.e., leave a trace where the Bohmian particle was not present.     

Quantum backreaction through the Bohmian particle

A novel solution to the quantum backreaction problem in a mixed quantum-classical simulation is provided using the Bohmian interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Bohmian backreaction is unique, computationally simple, features reaction channel branching, and easily gives the full classical limit. The Bohmian quantum-classical method is illustrated by application to a model of O2 interacting with a Pt surface.     

Quantum electrodynamics of one scalar particle

The theory of the interaction between a complex scalar field and the electromagnetic field is presented with initial and final conditions that allow an interpretation in the context of the relativistic quantum mechanics of a single charged scalar particle. Included are particle scattering, antiparticle scattering, pair creation, and pair annihilation due to a classical dynamical electromagnetic field. The equations of motion are solved by a perturbation expansion, which does not lead to the troublesome divergent terms of quantum field theory.     

Probability in Relativistic Bohmian Mechanics of Particles and Strings

Even though the Bohmian trajectories given by integral curves of the conserved Klein-Gordon current may involve motions backwards in time, the natural relativistic probability density of particle positions is well-defined. The Bohmian theory predicts subtle deviations from the statistical predictions of more conventional formulations of quantum theory, but it seems that no present experiment rules this theory out. The generalization to the case of many particles or strings is straightforward, provided that a preferred foliation of spacetime is given.     

Foundations of the Quaternion Quantum Mechanics

We show that quaternion quantum mechanics has well-founded mathematical roots and can be derived from the model of the elastic continuum by French mathematician Augustin Cauchy, i.e., it can be regarded as representing the physical reality of elastic continuum. Starting from the Cauchy theory (classical balance equations for isotropic Cauchy-elastic material) and using the Hamilton quaternion algebra, we present a rigorous derivation of the quaternion form of the non- and relativistic wave equations. The family of the wave equations and the Poisson equation are a straightforward consequence of the quaternion representation of the Cauchy model of the elastic continuum. This is the most general kind of quantum mechanics possessing the same kind of calculus of assertions as conventional quantum mechanics. The problem of the Schrödinger equation, where imaginary ‘i’ should emerge, is solved. This interpretation is a serious attempt to describe the ontology of quantum mechanics, and demonstrates that, besides Bohmian mechanics, the complete ontological interpretations of quantum theory exists. The model can be generalized and falsified. To ensure this theory to be true, we specified problems, allowing exposing its falsity.     

On the Weak Measurement of Velocity in Bohmian Mechanics

In a recent article (Wiseman in New J. Phys. 9:165, 2007), Wiseman has proposed the use of so-called weak measurements for the determination of the velocity of a quantum particle at a given position, and has shown that according to quantum mechanics the result of such a procedure is the Bohmian velocity of the particle. Although Bohmian mechanics is empirically equivalent to variants based on velocity formulas different from the Bohmian one, and although it has been proven that the velocity in Bohmian mechanics is not measurable, we argue here for the somewhat paradoxical conclusion that Wiseman’s weak measurement procedure indeed constitutes a genuine measurement of velocity in Bohmian mechanics. We reconcile the apparent contradictions and elaborate on some of the different senses of measurement at play here.     

What Is Bohmian Mechanics

Bohmian mechanics is a quantum theory with a clear ontology. To make clear what we mean by this, we shall proceed by recalling first what are the problems of quantum mechanics. We shall then briefly sketch the basics of Bohmian mechanics and indicate how Bohmian mechanics solves these problems and clarifies the status and the role of the quantum formalism.     

Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Information

Many recent results suggest that quantum theory is about information, and that quantum theory is best understood as arising from principles concerning information and information processing. At the same time, by far the simplest version of quantum mechanics, Bohmian mechanics, is concerned, not with information but with the behavior of an objective microscopic reality given by particles and their positions. What I would like to do here is to examine whether, and to what extent, the importance of information, observation, and the like in quantum theory can be understood from a Bohmian perspective. I would like to explore the hypothesis that the idea that information plays a special role in physics naturally emerges in a Bohmian universe.     

Some Clarifications on the Relation Between Bohmian Quantum Potential and Mach’s Principle

Mach’s principle asserts that the inertial mass of a body is related to the distribution of other distant bodies. This means that in the absence of other bodies, a single body has no mass. In this case, talking about motion is not possible, because the detection of motion is possible only relative to other bodies. But in physics we are faced with situations that are not fully Machian. As in the case of general theory of relativity where geodesics exist in the absence of any matter, the motion has meaning. Another example which is the main topic of our discussion, refers to Bohmian quantum mechanics, where the inertial mass of a single particle does not vanish, but is modified. We can call such situations in which motion or mass of a single particle has meaning, pseudo-Machian situations. In this paper, we use the Machian or pseudo-Machian considerations to clarify under what circumstances and how a Machian effect leads us to Bohmian quantum mechanics. Then, we shall get the Bohmian quantum potential and its higher order terms for the Klein-Gordon particle through Machian considerations, without using any quantum mechanical postulate or operator formalism.     

On the conformally coupled scalar field quantum cosmology

We propose a new initial condition for the homogeneous and isotropic quantum cosmology, where the source of the gravitational field is a conformally coupled scalar field, and the maximally symmetric hypersurfaces have positive curvature. After solving corresponding Wheeler–DeWitt equation, we obtain exact solutions in both classical and quantum levels. We propose appropriate initial condition for the wave packets which results in a complete classical and quantum correspondence. These wave packets closely follow the classical trajectories and peak on them. We also quantify this correspondence using de Broglie–Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics. Using this proposal, the quantum potential vanishes along the Bohmian paths and the classical and Bohmian trajectories coincide with each other. We show that the model contains singularities even at the quantum level. Therefore, the resulting wave packets closely follow the classical trajectories from big-bang to big-crunch.     

Causal stochastic interpretation of quantum statistics

The differences between Einstein and Bohr on the interpretation of quantum mechanics revolved around the question of completeness of the Copenhagen Interpretation. This fundamental problem is examined here in the light of recent neutron interference experiments which allow for novel experimental situations. Exploiting the possibility of neutron spin flip in these experiments, the inadequacy of the Copenhagen interpretation to fully understand the experimental results is brought out. Instead a causal interpretation of quantum mechanics is advocated, in which the neutron, as a particle, does always have a definite space time trajectory but also involves a wave which creates a potential affecting the particle neutron. The reestablishment of definite particle trajectories in the microscopic domain obliges us to reexamine the statistical treatment of ‘identical’ particles, as well as the problem of negative energies and probabilities in relativistic quantum mechanics.     

Bohmian Trajectories Post-Decoherence

The role of the environment in producing the correct classical limit in the Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics is investigated, in the context of a model of quantum Brownian motion. One of the effects of the interaction is to produce a rapid approximate diagonalisation of the reduced density matrix in the position representation. This effect is, by itself, insufficient to produce generically quasi-classical behaviour of the Bohmian trajectory. However, it is shown that, if the system particle is initially in an approximate energy eigenstate, then there is a tendency for the Bohmian trajectory to become approximately classical on a longer time-scale. The relationship between this phenomenon and the behaviour of the Wigner function post-decoherence is discussed.     

Typicality vs. Probability in Trajectory-Based Formulations of Quantum Mechanics

Bohmian mechanics represents the universe as a set of paths with a probability measure defined on it. The way in which a mathematical model of this kind can explain the observed phenomena of the universe is examined in general. It is shown that the explanation does not make use of the full probability measure, but rather of a suitable set function deriving from it, which defines relative typicality between single-time cylinder sets. Such a set function can also be derived directly from the standard quantum formalism, without the need of an underlying probability measure. The key concept for this derivation is the quantum typicality rule, which can be considered as a generalization of the Born rule. The result is a new formulation of quantum mechanics, in which particles follow definite trajectories, but which is based only on the standard formalism of quantum mechanics.     

Massive Gravitons on Bohmian Congruences

Taking a quantum corrected form of Raychaudhuri equation in a geometric background described by a Lorentz-violating massive theory of gravity, we go through investigating a time-like congruence of massive gravitons affected by a Bohmian quantum potential. We find some definite conditions upon which these gravitons are confined to diverging Bohmian trajectories. The respective behaviour of those quantum potentials are also derived and discussed. Additionally, and through a relativistic quantum treatment of a typical wave function, we demonstrate schematic conditions on the associated frequency to the gravitons, in order to satisfy the necessity of divergence.     

A modified set of Feynman postulates in quantum mechanics

Certain modifications, by way of improvement, are proposed for the Feynman postulates in quantum mechanics. These modifications incorporate a criterion for the applicability of the principle of superposition. It is shown that the modified postulates, together with certain assumptions regarding the trajectory of a particle, lead to an expression for the position-momentum uncertainty relationship which is broadly in agreement with the conventional expression. The time-energy uncertainty relationship is, however, found to have a likely place only in the relativistic theory. A criterion, in the form of a ratio involving the linear dimensions of the particle, is obtained for the validity of the classical mechanics approximation. The modified postulates are suggested to favor the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics over the Copenhagen interpretation.