Objective state reduction from microscopic irreversibility
Abstract
A realistic model of a projective quantum measurement is presented that provides a physical justification for the collapse postulate without invoking the macroscopic nature of a detector. The analysis adopts a minimally realist interpretation of the formalism, in which objective reality is ascribed only to quantum states associated with definite, empirically accessible physical properties. It is shown that objective state reduction arises from an irreversible microscopic process, enforced by appropriate boundary conditions, while the subsequent amplification stage merely reveals, at the macroscopic scale, the randomly selected measurement outcome.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Origins and Evolution of Life
Theoretical and Computational Physics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- APS Open Science
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 1
- Publication date
- 26 May 2026
- Language
- EN