Résumé / Abstract Journal-club_GReCO

Séminaire / Seminar GReCO

« Wave function collapse, gravity and cosmology »

Angelo Bassi
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Trieste (Trieste, Italie)

To make quantum theory consistent, models of spontaneous wave function collapse (collapse models) propose to modify the Schrödinger equation by including nonlinear and stochastic terms, which describe the collapse of the wave function in space. These spontaneous collapses are “rare” for microscopic systems, hence their quantum properties are left almost unaltered. At the same time, since the collapses add coherently in composite systems, macroscopic spatial superpositions of macro-objects are rapidly suppressed. I will review the main features of collapse models, and will present an update of the most promising ways of testing them in interferometric and non-interferometric experiments, showing the current lower and upper bounds on their parameters. Next, I will discuss ideas to connect the collapse of the wave function to gravity: The Diosi-Penrose model, Adler’s model and the Schroedinger-Newton equation. I will also show how collapse models can possibly shed a light on some cosmological problems.
lundi 4 décembre 2017 - 11:00
Salle des séminaires Évry Schatzman
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris
Pages web du séminaire / Seminar's webpage