41 research outputs found
On the concept of Bell's local causality in local classical and quantum theory
The aim of this paper is to give a sharp definition of Bell's notion of local
causality. To this end, first we unfold a framework, called local physical
theory, integrating probabilistic and spatiotemporal concepts. Formulating
local causality within this framework and classifying local physical theories
by whether they obey local primitive causality --- a property rendering the
dynamics of the theory causal, we then investigate what is needed for a local
physical theory, with or without local primitive causality, to be locally
causal. Finally, comparing Bell's local causality with the Common Cause
Principles and relating both to the Bell inequalities we find a nice
parallelism: Bell inequalities cannot be derived neither from local causality
nor from a common cause unless the local physical theory is classical or the
common cause is commuting, respectively.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Causation, Measurement Relevance and No-conspiracy in EPR
In this paper I assess the adequacy of no-conspiracy conditions employed in
the usual derivations of the Bell inequality in the context of EPR
correlations. First, I look at the EPR correlations from a purely
phenomenological point of view and claim that common cause explanations of
these cannot be ruled out. I argue that an appropriate common cause explanation
requires that no-conspiracy conditions are re-interpreted as mere common
cause-measurement independence conditions. In the right circumstances then,
violations of measurement independence need not entail any kind of conspiracy
(nor backwards in time causation). To the contrary, if measurement operations
in the EPR context are taken to be causally relevant in a specific way to the
experiment outcomes, their explicit causal role provides the grounds for a
common cause explanation of the corresponding correlations.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur
Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory with Locally Finite Degrees of Freedom
In the paper it will be shown that Reichenbach's Weak Common Cause Principle
is not valid in algebraic quantum field theory with locally finite degrees of
freedom in general. Namely, for any pair of projections A and B supported in
spacelike separated double cones O(a) and O(b), respectively, a correlating
state can be given for which there is no nontrivial common cause (system)
located in the union of the backward light cones of O(a) and O(b) and commuting
with the both A and B. Since noncommuting common cause solutions are presented
in these states the abandonment of commutativity can modulate this result:
noncommutative Common Cause Principles might survive in these models
Noncommutative causality in algebraic quantum field theory
In the paper it will be argued that embracing noncommuting common causes in the causal explanation of quantum correlations in algebraic quantum field theory has the following two beneficial consequences: it helps (i) to maintain the validity of Reichenbach's Common Causal Principle and (ii) to provide a local common causal explanation for a set of correlations violating the Bell inequality
Remarks on Causality in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory
It is shown that the correlations predicted by relativistic quantum field
theory in locally normal states between projections in local von Neumann
algebras \cA(V_1),\cA(V_2) associated with spacelike separated spacetime
regions have a (Reichenbachian) common cause located in the union of
the backward light cones of and . Further comments on causality and
independence in quantum field theory are made.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, Quantum Structures 2002 Conference Proceedings
submission. Minor revision of the order of definitions on p.
Correlations, deviations and expectations: the Extended Principle of the Common Cause
The Principle of the Common Cause is usually understood to provide causal explanations for probabilistic correlations obtaining between causally unrelated events. In this study, an extended interpretation of the principle is proposed, according to which common causes should be invoked to explain positive correlations whose values depart from the ones that one would expect to obtain in accordance to her probabilistic expectations. In addition, a probabilistic model for common causes is tailored which satisfies the generalized version of the principle, at the same time including the standard conjunctive-fork model as a special case