Rational Scientific Theories from Theism

Physics Approach to Theistic Science

Virtual Processes as Prior Generative Levels

Potentials from Virtual Particle Exchange

  • Where does the Hamiltonian come from? We cannot just invent it!
  • We know that the potential energy part of the Hamiltonian really comes from field-theoretic virtual processes. What are these events?
    • Kinetic energy, also, has a mass which is ‘dressed’ by virtual processes.
  • Propose: the Energy Operator is itself ‘generated’ by (further) previous levels.

Propensities for Virtual Processes

  • Propose: 2 linked sets each of three generative levels
    • both with (broadly) corresponding processes,
    • i.e. still in pattern ‘Principle » Cause » Effect’.
  • Virtual processes (in some way) ‘generate’ the terms of the Energy Operator (the Hamiltonian).

Virtual ‘Principle  »  Cause  »  Effect’

  • The field-theoretic Lagrangian + Variational Principle starts the generative sequence.
  • Propagating field quanta (virtual quantum field substances),
    • e.g. photons, gluons, quarks, leptons, ...
    • derived from the Lagrangian by a Variational Principle.
    • generate virtual events when interacting.
  • Virtual events (of quantum field theory) are point events which generate the potential energy part of the Hamiltonian operator.
    • They do not all actually occur because, for example, they may generate potentials that are never active in the selected sequence of actual outcomes.

 

Virtual and Actual Events

VIRTUAL EVENTS
ACTUAL EVENTS
  1. Point events (not=point measurements)
  2. Interactions
  3. Microscopic interactions
  4. Continuous
  5. Deterministic (apparently)
  6. Contribute to alternate futures
  7. Have intrinsic group structure (e.g. gauge invariance, renormalisation)
  1. Visible events in history (e.g. measurement)
  2. Selections
  3. Macroscopic decoherence
  4. Discrete
  5. Probabilistic
  6. Definitely occur (or not)
  7. Have branching tree structure

Many possible virtual events contribute to given actual process, such as electron-electron scattering:

Complications: are all the stages needed?

  • Some physicists try to derive probabilities of actual outcomes directly from field theory, without a Hamiltonian or potential. Is the idea of a potential only an approximation suitable for some energy scales?
  • I would ask: Are there not still some roles for mass, kinetic and potential energy, & energy conservation?
  • I agree that a Hamiltonian (etc) is a ‘composite object’, whose detail reflects its genesis:

Summary

  • More work needed to understand the mathematical substructures at each level, 
  • But 'virtual processes' do appear to be a level of processes that generates the Hamiltonians for normal quantum objects.

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