Quantum Physics and Cosmology

Hervé Zwirn is a physicist and epistemologist. He is currently Research Associate at the Centre Borelli of the École Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay and the Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences, Paris, France. His research focuses on the foundations of quantum physics and complex systems.

• Introduction xiiiHervé ZWIRNChapter 1 A Brief Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and a Review of Interpretations 1Hervé ZWIRN1.1 Quantum formalism 21.1.1 States and observations 21.1.2 Evolution of the state of a system without and with measurement 31.2 The measurement problem 41.3 Interpretations 71.3.1 Changes in formalism 71.3.2 The Copenhagen interpretation 81.3.3 The dualist interpretation of von Neumann, Wigner, London and Bauer 91.3.4 Everett’s interpretation 101.3.5 Relational interpretation 111.3.6 QBism 111.3.7 Pragmatism 121.3.8 Convivial solipsism 131.4 Conclusion 14Chapter 2 Bohrian Realism 15Thomas RYCKMAN2.1 The observational problem 162.2 Objectivity 182.3 Subject and object 192.4 Redefining “phenomenon” 242.5 Realism, without representationalism 272.6 References 30Chapter 3 The Many-worlds View of Quantum Mechanics 33Lev VAIDMANChapter 4 Probability in Everett 53Jeffrey A. BARRETT4.1 Introduction 534.2 How Everett understood the measurement problem 554.3 Relative records and subjective experience 584.4 Everett’s account of probability 614.5 Strong adequacy and pure wave mechanics 654.6 Splitting worlds and self-location 664.7 Two metaphysical options 684.8 Interacting worlds 724.9 Discussion 734.10 References 74Chapter 5 Quantum Theory from a Pragmatist Perspective 79Richard HEALEY5.1 A pragmatist perspective 795.2 How quantum theory implements the novel strategy 825.3 No measurement problem 865.4 No nonlocal action 885.5 Application of quantum field models 915.6 Wigner’s friend 935.7 Extending Wigner’s friend 945.8 Four kinds of quantum relativism 1005.9 References 106Chapter 6 The Role of the Observer: Convivial Solipsism 109Hervé ZWIRN6.1 Current interpretations 1096.1.1 Philosophical positions 1096.1.2 Realism 1106.1.3 Idealism 1106.1.4 Instrumentalism and pragmatism 1116.1.5 Changes in formalism 1116.1.6 The Copenhagen school 1116.1.7 The dualist interpretation of von Neumann, Wigner, London and Bauer 1126.1.8 Pragmatism 1136.1.9 Relational interpretation 1136.1.10 QBism 1146.1.11 Everett’s interpretation 1156.2 Convivial Solipsism 1156.2.1 The hanging-on mechanism 1176.2.2 Relativity yet conviviality 1206.2.3 Empirical reality and phenomenal reality 1236.2.4 The Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox 1246.2.5 Is there really such a thing as non-locality? 1266.3 Conclusion 1296.4 References 131Chapter 7 Copenhagenish Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 133David SCHMID, Yìlè YĪNG and Matthew S. LEIFER7.1 Introduction 1347.2 Copenhagenish interpretations 1377.2.1 Four defining postulates 1377.2.2 What Copenhagenish interpretations are not 1477.2.3 Shifty splits 1527.3 The measurement problem 1557.4 Wigner’s friend 1587.4.1 Wigner’s enemy 1617.4.2 Wigner’s stalkee and penpal 1647.5 Conclusion 1667.6 Acknowledgments 1677.7 References 167Chapter 8 Dark Energy 171Nathalie PALANQUE-DELABROUILLE8.1 The expanding universe 1718.2 First clues to the existence of dark energy 1738.3 What could the nature of dark energy be? 1758.4 The standard model of cosmology 1778.5 Observational approaches to deciphering dark energy 1808.6 The origin of a standard ruler for measuring cosmic expansion 1828.7 DESI and large-scale galaxy surveys 1848.8 A new turning point for dark energy? 1868.9 Conclusion 1908.10 References 191Chapter 9 Dark Matter 193Françoise COMBES9.1 A brief historical overview 1939.2 On a galaxy scale: rotation curves of spiral galaxies 1979.3 Scaling relationships for rotation curves 1989.4 Galaxies without dark matter: intriguing exceptions 2019.5 Dark matter on the scale of galaxy clusters 2029.6 Cosmic shear and cluster collisions: revealing dark matter 2049.7 The cosmic microwave background: a measurement of unparalleled precision 2069.8 Dark matter solutions 2089.9 Experiments for the direct detection of dark matter 2119.10 Indirect detection of dark matter 2129.11 Modified gravity 2139.12 Conclusion 2169.13 References 216Chapter 10 Gravitational Waves 219Matteo BARSUGLIA and Simone MASTROGIOVANNI10.1 Introduction 21910.2 Gravitational waves in the framework of the general relativity theory 22010.3 Gravitational wave sources 22110.4 Gravitational wave detectors 22210.5 The first gravitational wave detection, GW150914 22510.6 GW170817 multimessenger observation 22610.7 The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observations 22710.8 The astrophysical properties of compact binary coalescences 22910.9 Cosmology with populations of gravitational waves 23110.10 Tests of general relativity with a population of gravitational waves 23210.11 Future detectors: Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer and LISA 23310.12 References 235Chapter 11 What is the Energy of the Vacuum? 239Bruno MANSOULIÉ11.1 Introduction 23911.2 General relativity 24011.2.1 The foundations of GR and its successes 24011.2.2 The cosmological constant 24211.3 A rapidly expanding universe 24211.3.1 Vacuum energy interpretation 24311.4 Quantum field theory: the basics 24411.4.1 Non-relativistic quantum theory: ground state 24411.4.2 Relativistic quantum theory: the basics, the successes 24411.4.3 Problems of quantum field theory: infinities, renormalization 24511.3 Vacuum energy in a QFT 24711.3.1 Naive estimate 24711.3.2 Toward a better estimate? 24811.3.3 A few leads 24911.3.4 Tracks in particle physics 25211.3.5 General relativity tracks 25311.4 Conclusion 25411.5 References 255Chapter 12 Temporality in Relativistic Space–time 257Marc LACHIÈZE-REY12.1 Relativistic temporal effects 25712.2 From time to space–time 25812.2.1 Aspects of Newtonian time 25812.2.2 Space–time 26012.2.3 Histories and proper durations 26012.2.4 RTEs in space–time 26112.3 Time shifts 26212.3.1 Spectral shifts 26312.3.2 Kinematic shift 26412.3.3 Gravitational shifts 26512.3.4 Pound and Rebka’s experiment 26512.3.5 At the Tokyo Tower 26612.3.6 Astrophysical gravitational shifts 26612.4 Time delays 26712.4.1 Hafele–Keating experiment: shifts and delays 26812.4.2 Shifts, delays and GPS 26912.4.3 Close to a black hole 26912.4.4 The Shapiro delay 27012.5 What to do with time 27112.5.1 Time and the speed of time 27112.5.2 The speed of time 27312.6 Conclusion 274Chapter 13 A History of Thought Experiments in Quantum Gravity 275Thiago HARTZ and Olival FREIRE JUNIOR13.1 Introduction 27513.2 Thoughts experiments before quantum theory 27613.3 Thought experiments in quantum theory 27813.4 Thought experiments turned real 28013.5 Approaches to quantum gravity 28113.6 Thought experiments in quantum gravity 28413.6.1 Analogy between gravitation and electromagnetism 28413.6.2 Proper order between formalism and measurement analysis 28513.6.3 The search for inconsistencies and contradictions 28813.6.4 The experiment suggested by Belinfante and Feynman 29213.6.5 General relativity as a theory valid only for small fluctuations 29313.7 Promises of experimental quantum gravity 29513.8 Conclusions 29613.9 Acknowledgements 29713.10 References 297Chapter 14 Possibility in Physics 303Baptiste LE BIHAN, Emilia MARGONI and Annica VIESER14.1 Introduction 30314.2 Classical mechanics 30514.3 Kinematical and dynamical possibilities 30814.4 General relativity 31114.5 Nonrelativistic quantum mechanics 31514.6 Concluding remarks 31914.7 Acknowledgments 32114.8 References 321List of Authors 323Index 325