Rational Scientific Theories from Theism

Physics Approach to Theistic Science

A Quantum World of Propensity Forms

Revisit: Hamiltonian Quantum Mechanics


  • Energy operator generates the wave function,
    • according to Schrödinger’s time-dependent equation
  • Propensity wave generates the actual measurement
    • according to Born’s Probability Rule for |y|2
  • Actual measurements = selections of alternate histories
  • ‘Energy’, ‘propensity waves’ are two kinds of propensity

Measurements are ‘Actual Selections’

  • Actual measurements are selections of alternate histories
  • Unphysical alternatives actually removed by some (undiscovered) dynamical process.
  • This sets to zero any residual coherence between nearly-decoherent histories, if a branch disappears.
  • Different alternatives uioften summarised by an operator A of which they are distinct eigenfunctions: Aui=ai ui, and labeled by some eigenvalues ai .

‘Nonlocal Hidden Variables’ in ordinary QM:

  • ‘Energy’, ‘propensity’ and ‘actual events’ are all present, though hidden, in a ‘generative’ sequence.
  • Energy and propensity exist simultaneously, continuously and non-locally.
  • Actual events are intermittent.
  • Does this describe QM as we know it?

What does the wavefunction describe?

  • The wavefunction describes dynamic substances, which are configuration-fields of propensity for alternate histories.
  • The wavefunction of an ‘individual particle’ Y(x,t) describes the ‘isolated’ propensity for x-dependent decoherent alternatives if these were initiated at time t.

Wholeness and Non-locality

  • The propensity fields:
  • extend over finite space regions and time intervals, so are non-local,
  • act to select just one actual alternative,
    • subsequent propensity fields develop from the actual alternative selected,
  • whole’ substances, but:
  • usually contain many ‘virtual substances’ (see later) in whole ‘unitary compound’
    • So express using configuration space, not in 3D.
      We need further analysis of ‘quantum composition’.

Summary

  • I hope that this is an accurate classification of the several ‘stages’ in nature, as seen in QM.
  • Should help to understand quantum physics and what really goes on. 
  • We can find ‘what the wave function describes’, if we think carefully and with imagination.

www.TheisticScience.org Author: Ian J. Thompson, Email: IanT at TheisticScience.org