Virtual Particle Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics - a non-dualistic model of QM with a natural probability interpretation

TL;DR

This paper proposes a non-dualistic, causal interpretation of quantum mechanics using a virtual particle fluid, aiming to clarify ontology, eliminate wave-particle duality, and connect with quantum field theory.

Contribution

It introduces a novel virtual particle fluid model that replaces the wave function, providing a clear ontology and a natural probability interpretation in quantum mechanics.

Findings

Replaces wave function with virtual particle fluid

Provides a causal, non-dualistic QM interpretation

Connects particle QM with virtual particles in QFT

Abstract

An interpretation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics is presented in the spirit of Erwin Madelung's hydrodynamic formulation of QM and Louis de Broglie's and David Bohm's pilot wave models. The aims of the approach are as follows: 1) to have a clear ontology for QM, 2) to describe QM in a causal way, 3) to get rid of the wave-particle dualism in pilot wave theories, 4) to provide a theoretical framework for describing creation and annihilation of particles, and 5) to provide a possible connection between particle QM and virtual particles in QFT. These goals are achieved, if the wave function is replaced by a fluid of so called virtual particles. It is also assumed that in this fluid of virtual particles exist a few real particles and that only these real particles can be directly observed. This has relevance for the measurement problem in QM and it is found that quantum probabilities arise in a very natural way from the structure of the theory. The model presented here is very similar to a recent computational model of quantum physics and recent Bohmian models of QFT.