Gravitationally induced wave-function collapse from dynamical bifurcation

Fuente: arXiv
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Autor principal: Almeida, C. A. S.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Almeida, C. A. S.
author_facet Almeida, C. A. S.
contents We propose an effective non-relativistic framework in which wave-function collapse emerges as a deterministic dynamical instability induced by gravitational self-interaction and regulated by short-distance repulsion. The dynamics is described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation supplemented by a phenomenological repulsive sector ensuring regularity at high densities. Using a variational Gaussian ansatz, we derive an explicit effective energy functional and show that extended quantum states lose stability beyond a critical mass scale. This loss of stability is associated with a bifurcation in the reduced dynamical system governing the wave-function width, leading to the emergence of stable localized configurations. Within this picture, collapse corresponds to the dynamical selection of one of these localized attractors, driven by infinitesimal asymmetries in the initial state and occurring without stochastic noise or environmental coupling. The mechanism provides a controlled and quantitative realization of gravity-induced localization, extending Schrödinger--Newton-type models while avoiding their pathological short-distance behavior. Possible implications for mesoscopic systems probing the quantum-to-classical transition are briefly discussed.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_16144
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Gravitationally induced wave-function collapse from dynamical bifurcation
Almeida, C. A. S.
Quantum Physics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We propose an effective non-relativistic framework in which wave-function collapse emerges as a deterministic dynamical instability induced by gravitational self-interaction and regulated by short-distance repulsion. The dynamics is described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation supplemented by a phenomenological repulsive sector ensuring regularity at high densities. Using a variational Gaussian ansatz, we derive an explicit effective energy functional and show that extended quantum states lose stability beyond a critical mass scale. This loss of stability is associated with a bifurcation in the reduced dynamical system governing the wave-function width, leading to the emergence of stable localized configurations. Within this picture, collapse corresponds to the dynamical selection of one of these localized attractors, driven by infinitesimal asymmetries in the initial state and occurring without stochastic noise or environmental coupling. The mechanism provides a controlled and quantitative realization of gravity-induced localization, extending Schrödinger--Newton-type models while avoiding their pathological short-distance behavior. Possible implications for mesoscopic systems probing the quantum-to-classical transition are briefly discussed.
title Gravitationally induced wave-function collapse from dynamical bifurcation
topic Quantum Physics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.16144