Professor Shimony is investigating modifications of the time- dependent Schrodinger equation, which is the equation governing standard quantum dynamics. He will pay some attention to nonlinear modifications of the Schrodinger equation and to the bearing of previous experiments upon their viability. Most of his attention, however, will be devoted to stochastic modifications of the equation. These have the virtue that in a finite time all but one component in a superposition of distinct eigenstates of the apparatus variable can be extinguished, thus yielding a definite measurement result by a physical process. In this way, the notorious measurement problem of quantum mechanics (which is a special case of the problem of the actualization of potentialities) would be solved physically rather than epistemologically. At present the best explored stochastic modifications of the Schrodinger equation is that of Ghiardi, Rimini, and Weber, but the project aims at important improvements of their theory: freedom from the position representation, relativistic invariance, and reduction of the wave packet at an early state of interaction with the apparatus. This work is part of Professor Shimony's larger project of investigating the foundations of quantum mechanics.
