Position Measurements in the de Broglie - Bohm Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

TL;DR

This paper examines the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation's position measurements, analyzing a velocity formula's validity and revealing that certain detectors produce trajectories inconsistent with particle paths.

Contribution

It evaluates a simplified velocity formula for Bohmian particles and demonstrates that some detector types yield surrealistic trajectories, challenging assumptions about particle paths.

Findings

Three detector types produce surrealistic trajectories

The velocity formula's validity varies with detector type

Some detectors leave traces without the particle's presence

Abstract

The de Broglie - Bohm Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics assigns positions and trajectories to particles. We analyze the validity of a formula for the velocities of Bohmian particles which makes the analysis of these trajectories particularly simple. We apply it to four different types of particle detectors and show that three types of the detectors lead to "surrealistic trajectories", i.e., leave a trace where the Bohmian particle was not present.