CSL Collapse Model And Spontaneous Radiation: An Update

TL;DR

This paper reviews the CSL collapse model, focusing on its prediction of spontaneous radiation and energy gain, and updates experimental limits on the model's parameters based on recent data, supporting mass-proportional coupling.

Contribution

It provides an updated analysis of spontaneous radiation limits in the CSL model using more accurate data, refining the understanding of collapse rates for electrons and nucleons.

Findings

Updated limits on collapse rates from electron excitation data

Evidence supporting mass-proportional coupling of the classical field

Refined constraints on CSL model parameters

Abstract

A brief review is given of the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model in which a classical field interacts with quantized particles to cause dynamical wavefunction collapse. One of the model's predictions is that particles "spontaneously" gain energy at a slow rate. When applied to the excitation of a nucleon in a Ge nucleus, it is shown how a limit on the relative collapse rates of neutron and proton could be obtained, and a rough estimate is made from data. When applied to the spontaneous excitation of 1s electrons in Ge, by a more detailed analysis of more accurate data than previously given, an updated limit is obtained on the relative collapse rates of the electron and proton, suggesting that the coupling of the field to electrons and nucleons is mass proportional.