Lower and Upper Bounds on CSL Parameters from Latent Image Formation and IGM Heating

Jul, 2006
50 pages
Published in:
  • J.Phys.A 40 (2007) 2935-2958,
  • J.Phys.A 40 (2007) 13501 (erratum)
e-Print:

Citations per year

2006201120162021202502468101214
Abstract: (arXiv)
We study lower and upper bounds on the parameters for stochastic state vector reduction, focusing on the mass-proportional continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model. We show that the assumption that the state vector is reduced whan a latent image is formed, in photography or etched track detection, requires a CSL rate parameter λ\lambda that is larger than conventionally assumed by a factor of roughly 2×109±22 \times 10^{9\pm 2}, for a correlation length rCr_C of 105cm10^{-5}{\rm cm}. We reanalyze existing upper bounds on the reduction rate and conclude that all are compatible with such an increase in λ\lambda. The best bounds that we have obtained come from a consideration of heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM), which shows that λ\lambda can be at most 108±1\sim 10^{8\pm 1} times as large as the standard CSL value, again for rC=105cmr_C=10^{-5} {\rm cm}. (For both the lower and upper bounds, quoted errors are not purely statistical errors, but rather are estimates reflecting modeling uncertainties.) We discuss modifications in our analysis corresponding to a larger value of rCr_C. With a substantially enlarged rate parameter, CSL effects may be within range of experimental detection (or refutation) with current technologies. ADDED NOTE: A careful calculation of radiation from atomic systems in the CSL model (Adler and Ramazanoglu, arXiv:0707.3134) has reinstated the bound obtained by Fu as the best upper bound on lambda, with significant implications for CSL model phenomenology.
Note:
  • Tex, 50p To appear in J. Phys. A: Math-Gen, in the special issue ``The Quantum Universe'' in honor of G. C. Ghirardi. Version 9(apart from minor copy-editing style changes) is the final published version. SEE ADDED NOTE IN ABSTRACT
  • 02.50.Ey
  • 03.65.Ta
  • 03.65.-w
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