Quantum polarization and the measurement problem

Please follow and like us:

0.9k

1.1k

788

404

1k

We have shown throughout this blog and its companion book “The Reality of the Fourth *Spatial* Dimension” there are numerous advantages to defining the universe in terms of four *spatial* dimensional instead of four-dimensional space-time.

One is that it would allow for integration of the electromechanical and quantum mechanical properties of polarized of photons and derive the causality of the measurement problem in terms of the laws classical of physics.

For example the article “What is electromagnetism?” Sept 27, 2007 defined the propagation of electromagnetic energy in terms of a matter wave moving on a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
While the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” Oct. 4, 2007 derived quantum mechanical properties of energy/mass and a photon in terms of the discrete energies associated with a resonant “system” formed in space by a matter wave in a continuous non-quantized field of energy/mass.  However, it also showed all energy must be propagated through space in these quantized resonant systems.

Briefly that article showed the four conditions required for resonance to occur in a classical environment, an object, or substance with a natural frequency, a forcing function at the same frequency as the natural frequency, the lack of a damping frequency and the ability for the substance to oscillate spatial would occur in one consisting of four spatial dimensions.

The existence of four *spatial* dimensions would give a matter wave the ability to oscillate spatially on a “surface” between a third and fourth *spatial* dimensions thereby fulfilling one of the requirements for classical resonance to occur.

These oscillations would be caused by an event such as the decay of a subatomic particle or the shifting of an electron in an atomic orbital.  This would force the “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold to oscillate with the frequency associated with the energy of that event.

The oscillations caused by such an event would serve as forcing function allowing a resonant system or “structure” to be established space.

Therefore, these oscillations in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold would meet the requirements mentioned above for the formation of a resonant system or “structure” in four-dimensional space if one extrapolated them to that environment. 

Classical mechanics tells us the energy of a resonant system can only take on the discrete or quantized values associated with it fundamental or a harmonic of its fundamental frequency.

Hence, these resonant systems in four *spatial* dimensions would be responsible for the discrete quantized energy associated with the quantum mechanical properties of a photon or electromagnetic field.

Yet one can also define its boundary conditions in terms of the classical laws space and time.

For example in classical physics, a point on the two-dimensional surface of paper is confined to that surface.  However, that surface can oscillate up or down with respect to three-dimensional space. 

Similarly an object occupying a volume of three-dimensional space would be confined to it however, it could, similar to the surface of the paper oscillate “up” or “down” with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.

The confinement of the “upward” and “downward” oscillations of the field properties of mass with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension is what defines the spatial boundaries associated with a particle in the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?“

Therefore, those articles define a common mechanism responsible for the quantum mechanical and wave properties of electromagnetic radiation because they derive one in terms of the other.

However the article “What is electromagnetism?” also showed one can understand the electromechanical properties properties of a photon by extrapolating the properties of a three dimensional environment to a fourth *spatial* dimension.

Classical wave mechanics tell us a wave on the surface of water will causes a point on its surface to be become displaced or rise above or below the equilibrium point that existed before the wave was present and that a force will be developed by the differential displacement its surfaces.  This will result in the elevated and depressed portions of the water moving towards or become “attracted” to each other and the surface of the water.

Similarly a matter wave on the “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension would cause a point on that “surface” to become displaced or rise above and below the equilibrium point that existed before the wave was present.

Therefore one can define the causality of the attractive forces of unlike charges and polarities associated with the wave properties of electromagnetic radiation  in terms of a force developed by a differential displacement of a point on a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension caused by a matter wave on that surface.

However, it also provides a classical mechanism for understanding why similar charges repel each other because observations of water show that there is a direct relationship between the magnitudes of a displacement in its surface to the magnitude of the force resisting that displacement.

Similarly the magnitude of a displacement in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension caused by two similar charges will be greater than that caused by a single one.  Therefore, similar charges will repel each other because the magnitude of the force resisting the displacement will be greater for two charges than it would be for a single charge.

However, one can also define the causality of its electrical component in terms of the energy associated with its “peaks” and “troughs” that is directed perpendicular to its velocity vector while its magnetic component would be associated with the horizontal force developed by that perpendicular displacement.

This is analogous to how the vertical force pushing up of on mountain also generates a horizontal force, which pulls matter horizontally towards the apex of the displacement caused by that force.

The fact the electrical and magnetic components of electromagnetic energy are always 90 degrees out of phase supports this conclusion because the “vertical” displacement with respect to a fourth *spatial* of the “peaks” and “valleys” of a matter wave on a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold will cause a horizontal one to be developed in that “surface” which is always tangential or 90 degrees our of phase with respect to it.

This horizontal force is responsible for the magnetic component to electromagnetic radiation.

Physicists call the inability to explain why the act of observation appears to define the reality of what is being observed as the measurement problem.  It arises from the fact that Classical Mechanics is thought to be deterministic or in the words of Pierre-Simon Laplace “We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future.  Therefore, according to classical mechanics physical interactions have a “memory” which allows one to reconstruct their past form the present.

However Laplace’s concept of determinism fails when applied to the interactions of a photon with a polarizing medium because it destroys their “memory” and the ability to reconstruct their past.

This is demonstrated by the fact that if one allows a steam of photons with a +45 degree polarization to pass through a horizontal and vertical polarizer there will be a 50% probability they will emerge with either a vertical or horizontal polarization however if one pass those vertically and horizontally photon’s through + or – 45 degree polarizer there is a 50 % probability they will emerge with either a + or – 45 degree polarization. 

Therefore, because of the random probabilistic nature of these observations one cannot, with certainty determine the state of an individual photon before it is observed.  Many feel the only possible explanation is to assume that a photon must occupy or exist in all possible states of polarization before an observation is made.  The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics carries this one-step further by assuming that a polarized photon does not exist until after a conscience observer decides to look or measure it.  In other words that act of observing or measuring it creates or defines the reality of a polarized photon.

However it can be shown, at least in the case of the polarization of photons that if one assumes, as was done in the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” that if the particle characteristics of electromagnetic energy is a result of a resonant system form by a matter wave moving on a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold its probabilistic behavior when encountering a polarizer is predictable in terms of a classical interaction between a photon’s wave component and the test equipment.  

Observations of our classical three-dimensional environment show us that we can rotate the two dimensional plane of a piece of paper around its central axis.

Therefore, if we extrapolate that property of three-dimensional space to a fourth *spatial* dimension we would have to assume the dimensional plane occupied by the electromagnetic components of a photon can also rotate around its velocity vector.

This means when a vertically or horizontally polarized photon strikes a 45-degree polarizer its electric and magnetic components will experience  a torque due to in interaction with the polarizer as it passes through it causing the plane of its electromechanical components to rotate around it velocity vector.

However, as was shown earlier the electrical and magnetic components of the matter wave responsible for its resonant structure are oriented 90 degrees with respect to each other and the direction of its motion.  Therefore will be a 50 50 chance of vertically or horizontally oriented photon leaving a + or – 45 degree polarization with either a + or – 45 degree polarization.  In other words, it shows one can derive the observed probability of a vertically or horizontally polarized photon will pass through a 45-degree polarizer in terms of the laws of classical wave mechanics.

The reason why this appears to contradict the electromagnetic wave concept of energy is because, as was mentioned earlier the article “Why is energy/mass quantized?” showed its energy is propagated as a resonant system and therefore must be radiated as quantized unit of energy.  Therefore, the only way in which it can pass though a polarizer is to have its polarization axis match that of the one of the polarizing a filter it is passing through.

This shows, at least in the case of polarized photons the measurement problem is not caused by the interaction of a consciousness with reality or the experimental set up but is caused by the reality of how the physical components of the test equipment interact to causes the results.

In other words the measurement problem is not related to the illusion that our consciousness defines reality but to our consciousness’s inability to define that reality.

Later Jeff

Copyright Jeffrey O’Callaghan 2010

Please follow and like us:

0.9k

1.1k

788

404

1k