Physics – Quantum Physics
Scientific paper
2010-05-14
Found. Phys. 42, 656-673 (2012)
Physics
Quantum Physics
10 pages, 6 figures, comments welcome; v2 added references and clarified some points; v3 published version
Scientific paper
10.1007/s10701-012-9635-y
There has been considerable recent interest in the consequences of closed timelike curves (CTCs) for the dynamics of quantum mechanical systems. A vast majority of research into this area makes use of the dynamical equations developed by Deutsch, which were developed from a consistency condition that assumes that mixed quantum states uniquely describe the physical state of a system. We criticise this choice of consistency condition from an epistemic perspective, i.e., a perspective in which the quantum state represents a state of knowledge about a system. We demonstrate that directly applying Deutsch's condition when mixed states are treated as representing an observer's knowledge of a system can conceal time travel paradoxes from the observer, rather than resolving them. To shed further light on the appropriate dynamics for quantum systems traversing CTCs, we make use of a toy epistemic theory with a strictly classical ontology due to Spekkens and show that, in contrast to the results of Deutsch, many of the traditional paradoxical effects of time travel are present.
Bartlett Stephen D.
Wallman Joel J.
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