Non-Accessible Mass and the Ontology of GRW

TL;DR

This paper examines the ontological status of non-accessible mass in the GRWm interpretation of quantum mechanics, defending a realist view that treats non-accessible mass as objectively indeterminate states.

Contribution

It introduces and defends a realist approach to non-accessible mass in GRWm, contrasting it with anti-realist alternatives and addressing the tails problem.

Findings

Anti-realist approach faces significant objections.

Realist approach treats non-accessible mass as indeterminate states.

Supports ontological clarity in the GRWm framework.

Abstract

The Mass Density approach to GRW (GRWm for short) has been widely discussed in the quantum foundations literature. A crucial feature of GRWm is the introduction of a relation of accessibility for mass, which allows to explain the determinacy of experimental outcomes thus also addressing the tails problem of GRW. However, the relation of accessibility leaves the ontological meaning of the non-accessible portion of mass utterly unexplained. In this paper I discuss two viable approaches to non-accessible mass, which I call anti-realist and realist, and will defend the latter. First, I show that the anti-realist approach suffers from various objections. Second, I develop an account of non-accessible mass density states as objectively indeterminate states of affairs.