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In Copenhagen, electron is "mysterious quantum object", unlike wave, unlike particle, just showing off properties of both in different experiments. It is not me
by effie 10y ago
In Copenhagen, electron is "mysterious quantum object", unlike wave, unlike particle, just showing off properties of both in different experiments. It is not meant to be the same thing as \psi function, which is regarded as mere calculational device that describes this mysterious quantum object. The pilot wave in de Broglie-Bohm theory is just the \psi function with the addition that this function is "real", that is exists objectively and not merely on paper.
- _kst_ 10y agoI have to admit that I'm unclear on the distinction between "exists objectively" and "merely on paper" in this context.
- effie 10y agoMy bad, I didn't say it very well. The point is, in de Broglie-Bohm theory, it is assumed that particles are material points that exist, have trajectories. The motion of the particles is influenced by \psi, kind of like motion of charged particle is influenced by electric field in EM theory. These particles and the \psi function are the subject of the theory, so they "really exist" in this theory. In Copenhagen theory, \psi is understood to be mere calculational device the main purpose of which is to get probabilities of results of measurements. There is no idea that particles actually are there moving along trajectories; the subject of the theory are results of measurements and \psi is only a theoretician's tool to get their possible values and probabilities.