Spontaneous wave function collapse from non-local gravitational self-energy

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Jusufi, Kimet, Singleton, Douglas, Lobo, Francisco S. N.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Jusufi, Kimet
Singleton, Douglas
Lobo, Francisco S. N.
author_facet Jusufi, Kimet
Singleton, Douglas
Lobo, Francisco S. N.
contents We incorporate non-local gravitational self-energy, motivated by string-inspired T-duality, into the Schrödinger-Newton equation. In this framework spacetime has an intrinsic non-locality, rendering the standard linear superposition principle only an approximation valid in the absence of gravitational effects. We then invert the logic by assuming the validity of linear superposition and demonstrate that such superpositions inevitably become unstable once gravity is included. The resulting wave-function collapse arises from a fundamental tension between the equivalence principle and the quantum superposition principle in a semiclassical spacetime background. We further show that wave functions computed in inertial and freely falling frames differ by a gravitationally induced phase shift containing linear and cubic time contributions along with a constant global term. These corrections produce a global phase change and lead to a spontaneous, model-independent collapse time inversely proportional to the mass of the system.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_15393
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spontaneous wave function collapse from non-local gravitational self-energy
Jusufi, Kimet
Singleton, Douglas
Lobo, Francisco S. N.
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Quantum Physics
We incorporate non-local gravitational self-energy, motivated by string-inspired T-duality, into the Schrödinger-Newton equation. In this framework spacetime has an intrinsic non-locality, rendering the standard linear superposition principle only an approximation valid in the absence of gravitational effects. We then invert the logic by assuming the validity of linear superposition and demonstrate that such superpositions inevitably become unstable once gravity is included. The resulting wave-function collapse arises from a fundamental tension between the equivalence principle and the quantum superposition principle in a semiclassical spacetime background. We further show that wave functions computed in inertial and freely falling frames differ by a gravitationally induced phase shift containing linear and cubic time contributions along with a constant global term. These corrections produce a global phase change and lead to a spontaneous, model-independent collapse time inversely proportional to the mass of the system.
title Spontaneous wave function collapse from non-local gravitational self-energy
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.15393