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Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

Published on: November 15, 2013

Quantum reality with negative-mass particles.

Mordecai Waegell^1,2, Eliahu Cohen^3,4, Avshalom Elitzur^1,4

¹Institute for Quantum Studies, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|July 31, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores quantum mechanics interpretations using weak values. A new ontological model reveals exotic particles with unusual properties existing between measurements, resolving paradoxes in time-symmetric quantum theory.

Keywords:

quantum measurement quantum paradoxes quantum physics time-symmetry weak values

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Area of Science:

Quantum Mechanics
Foundations of Physics

Background:

Discusses physical interpretations of the time-symmetric formulation of quantum mechanics (Aharonov-Bergmann-Lebowitz).
Highlights paradoxes arising from naive interpretations assigning eigenvalues to unmeasured observables.
Introduces the concept of weak values in quantum measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a clear physical interpretation of the time-symmetric formulation of quantum mechanics.
To resolve logical paradoxes associated with previous interpretations.
To introduce a novel ontological model for quantum systems.

Main Methods:

Introduces a top-down ontological model based on weak values.
Treats weak values as physically real between pre- and post-selection (PPS).
Utilizes delocalized rank-1 projectors as fundamental ontological elements.

Main Results:

The proposed model avoids paradoxes by treating weak values as real.
Identifies emergent particle models with potentially negative or imaginary masses/energies.
Weak measurements are shown to probe properties of these exotic particles.

Conclusions:

The retrocausal top-down model offers an intuitive, particle-based ontological picture.
Exotic particles with unique properties exist independently of direct measurement.
Provides a new framework for understanding quantum reality and measurement.