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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Heisenberg’s Versus Von Neumann’s Indeterminism of Quantum Mechanics
Author(s)
Franz Klaus Jansen
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5313/2018.05.005
Affiliation(s)
Independent Researcher
ABSTRACT
Irreducible
indeterminism is considered by most physicists as an ontological interpretation
of quantum mechanics, which attributes inherent indeterminism to elementary
particles. This view was extrapolated by von Neumann from the atomocosm to the
entire universe. Heisenberg proposed an epistemic interpretation, postulating
that indeterminism stems from ambivalent detection systems, rather than being a
characteristic of elementary particles. Transformative detection that
inherently affects the measured phenomena is responsible for the indeterminism
in the atomocosm. As the same does not generally hold true in the macrocosm,
this discrepancy has led to the notion of the Heisenberg cut. As explained by
Heisenberg’s microscope example, high-energy light can displace electrons from
their atomic shells in the atomocosm, but would not induce the same effect on
objects in the macrocosm, thus rendering such detection neutral. Therefore,
detection systems are ambivalent in that they can be transformative under the
cut and neutral otherwise. Device variation is found under and above the cut
and is the essential cause of outcome variability in the macrocosm. Thus, two
completely different categories of indeterminism exist simultaneously under the
Heisenberg cut, but only one is found above the cut, known as measurement
variations of devices. Experimental exploration of elementary particle
behaviors is possible only with the help of detection systems. If these systems
affect particle characteristics in any way, this would be sufficient to explain
the irreducible quantum mechanical indeterminism. Consequently, the true
behavior of elementary particles, whether indeterminist or determinist, would
never be detectable. Above the cut, on the other hand, variations in device
performance are inevitable, due to reducible perturbing factors, inducing
measurement variation of devices. Heisenberg discovered a general principle of
ambivalent detection systems, which can also be found in the macrocosm. In the
Wilson Cloud Chamber, vapor is an ambivalent detection system, since
high-energy charged particles would produce straight tracks, whereas those of
lower energy would leave an irregular trace. According to the epistemic
interpretation, von Neumann’s extrapolation of irreducible quantum mechanical
indeterminism to the entire universe would not be necessary, thereby avoiding
the uncomfortable conclusion that the entire universe is based on
indeterminism.
KEYWORDS
quantum mechanics, indeterminism, ontic interpretation, extrapolation to universe, epistemic interpretation, Heisenberg cut, detection systems, device variations
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