Causality implies formal state collapse
Abstract
Description
A physical theory of experiments carried out in a space-time region can accommodate a detector localized in another space-like separated region, in three, not necessarily exclusive, ways: 1) the detector formally collapses physical states across space-like separations, 2) the detector enables superluminal signals, and 3) the theory becomes logically inconsistent. If such a theory admits autonomous evolving states, the space-like collapse must be instantaneous. Time-like separation does not allow such conclusions. We also prove some simple results on structural stability: within the set of all possible theories, under a weak empirical topology, the set of all theories with superluminal signals and the set of all theories with retrograde signals are both open and dense.
As accepted by Foundations of Physics. No essentially new results. Some more discussion, and a new reference. LaTeX, 17 pages
As accepted by Foundations of Physics. No essentially new results. Some more discussion, and a new reference. LaTeX, 17 pages