2021/01/03 by Ruth E. Kastner, Kastner, R. E.
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Relativity and Gravitational Theory
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2101.00712
openalex publication_date 2021/01/03 · openalex created_date 2021/01/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This paper presents key aspects of the quantum relativistic direct-action theory that underlies the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation. It notes some crucial ways in which traditional interpretations of the direct-action theory have impeded progress in developing its quantum counterpart. Specifically, (1) the so-called 'light tight box' condition is re-examined and it is shown that the quantum version of this condition is much less restrictive than has long been assumed; and (2) the notion of a 'real photon' is disambiguated and revised to take into account that real (on-shell) photons are indeed both emitted and absorbed and therefore have finite lifetimes. Also discussed is the manner in which real, physical non-unitarity naturally arises in the quantum direct-action theory of fields, such that the measurement transition can be clearly defined from within the theory, without reference to external observers and without any need to modify quantum theory itself. It is shown that field quantization arises from the non-unitary interaction.