An explanation of interference effects in the double slit experiment: Classical trajectories plus ballistic diffusion caused by zero-point fluctuations

TL;DR

This paper offers a classical explanation for interference in the double slit experiment by introducing a path excitation field derived from zero-point fluctuations, reproducing quantum-like trajectories without quantum potentials.

Contribution

It presents a novel classical framework using thermodynamics and zero-point fluctuations to explain interference effects typically attributed to quantum mechanics.

Findings

Calculated intensity distribution matches experimental results.

Trajectories obey a no-crossing rule similar to Bohmian mechanics.

Provides a classical basis for quantum-like behavior in interference patterns.

Abstract

A classical explanation of interference effects in the double slit experiment is proposed. We claim that for every single "particle" a thermal context can be defined, which reflects its embedding within boundary conditions as given by the totality of arrangements in an experimental apparatus. To account for this context, we introduce a "path excitation field", which derives from the thermodynamics of the zero-point vacuum and which represents all possible paths a "particle" can take via thermal path fluctuations. The intensity distribution on a screen behind a double slit is calculated, as well as the corresponding trajectories and the probability density current. The trajectories are shown to obey a "no crossing" rule with respect to the central line, i.e., between the two slits and orthogonal to their connecting line. This agrees with the Bohmian interpretation, but appears here without the necessity of invoking the quantum potential.