Natural Quantum Theory (NQT): A Manifesto

— Let Nature speak again —

Executive vision

• We end the mystification of quantum mechanics and restore a clear, realistic, and causal picture of nature.

• Quantum theory is re-grounded as a spectral description of continuous, local field dynamics under explicit boundary conditions—without point particles, magical collapses, or superluminal causes.

• Discreteness (quanta) is not an axiom but the natural consequence of resonance and boundary constraints; “quantum states” are spectral modes of extended fields with finite size (≈ Compton scale).

• Mathematics serves mechanism: wavefunctions are representations, not things; probabilities are ensemble summaries, not ontological fuzz.

1) First principles (what NQT affirms)

1. Realism and continuity

• Simple: The world exists and evolves regardless of observation; measurement reveals, it does not create.

• Technical: Physics describes continuous fields and extended structures whose dynamics are causal and local in spacetime.

1. Finite size and extended structure

• Simple: Quanta are not points—think tiny, stable field whirlpools at roughly the Compton scale.

• Technical: Extended charge and current distributions with real geometry remove point-like pathologies and anchor all conserved flows (energy, momentum, angular momentum).

1. Quantization from boundaries (not from fiat)

• Simple: Like a guitar string, stable modes are discrete because the system is bounded and resonant.

• Technical: Discreteness emerges from boundary conditions and charge quantization; h sets the spectral scale, not a metaphysical “quantum essence.”

1. Wavefunction as representation, not substance

• Simple: The wavefunction encodes a system’s spectral content; |ψ|² reflects energy-density/ensemble statistics, not an object smeared over space.

• Technical: Schrödinger theory is a frequency-domain tool; it projects rich, local field dynamics into a compact spectral basis.

1. Local causality; entanglement as correlation

• Simple: No faster-than-light influence; “entanglement” records shared origin and constraints, not spooky action.

• Technical: Correlations arise from common spectral modes and boundary histories; phase coherence preserves relational structure without violating locality.

1. Spin and magnetic moment are physical

• Simple: Spin is real rotation of an extended distribution; the magnetic moment is its tangible footprint.

• Technical: Angular momentum and magnetic energy are carried by circulating fields; g-factor anomalies trace to finite structure and self-interaction, not pure algebra.

1. Gauge as bookkeeping of physical orientation

• Simple: Gauge freedom tracks local phase/orientation choices; it is not a hidden realm.

• Technical: Potentials coordinate consistent orientation of moments and phases across space; Aharonov–Bohm is local phase modulation of extended fields.

1. Vacuum and infinities demystified

• Simple: Only differences are observable; infinities flag unphysical point models.

• Technical: Finite structure (shape factors) regularizes UV behavior; spectral differences (Casimir-style) are physical, absolute vacuum sums are not.

1. Measurement as boundary redefinition

• Simple: Measurement changes the setup, not reality’s ontology; Zeno/anti-Zeno are control of coupling and constraints.

• Technical: System–apparatus interaction reconfigures global boundary conditions and mode occupancy; no ad hoc collapse postulate is required.

1. Education and clarity

• Simple: Teach mechanisms and fields first; keep spectra and statistics honest.

• Technical: Distinguish time-domain dynamics from frequency-domain representation; define “quantum state” precisely in both.

2) Methodological commitments (how NQT proceeds)

• Mechanism before math: every formal object must map to a physical flow, density, or geometry.

• Dual-domain rigor: analyze in time and frequency; never lose track of boundary conditions and locality.

• Finite-structure regularization: build models with explicit shape factors at ≈ Compton scales; avoid point-idealization and post hoc renormalization.

• Difference-only observables: compute spectral shifts, currents, and response functions; avoid absolute vacuum “energies.”

• No new magic: add no axioms like collapse or superluminal influence; insist on causal narratives testable in the lab.

• Reproducibility first: publish protocols, priors, and data; welcome adversarial replication.

3) Experimental program (what to test next) Near-term, discriminating tests that preserve quantum’s predictive success while probing its physical origin:

• Free-particle coherence and trajectories

• Ultra–high-vacuum electron-beam lateral spread: predict near-zero transverse diffusion vs. standard expectations when interactions are eliminated.

• Sparse-track reconstructions: demonstrate continuous, causal trajectories under minimal perturbation.

• Magnetic structure and spin

• High-resolution Stern–Gerlach with tunable gradients and apertures: reveal continuous orientation dynamics of magnetic moments (beyond two-spot dogma).

• Energy-balance in extreme B-fields: search for systematic deviations traceable to real magnetic energy storage in extended structures.

• Time-resolved emission and “forbidden” transitions

• Attosecond spectroscopy on nominally forbidden lines: map continuous mode-switching dynamics rather than instant “jumps.”

• Mössbauer-like emission timing and recoil accounting: test non-instantaneous, lattice-coupled field relaxation.

• Interference, AB, and “entanglement”

• Aharonov–Bohm local-phase mapping with phase plates: visualize field-based phase accumulation without nonlocal narratives.

• HOM/antibunching under controlled partial mode mismatch: validate coherent-field interference origin of coincidence dips.

• “Entangled photon” re-analysis with mode engineering: test whether global-mode correlations suffice without invoking superluminal causation.

• Finite size and g-factor systematics

• Low-Q² elastic scattering at Compton-scale resolution: probe finite charge/current architectures.

• Energy-dependent g-factor measurements: constrain self-interaction and structure contributions beyond perturbative fitting.

4) Theoretical work packages (what to build)

• Spectralization principle

• Derive quantization as boundary-mode discreteness; make explicit the map from local field dynamics to spectral representation.

• Schrödinger as a tool, not ontology

• Re-express Schrödinger theory as an efficient frequency-domain solver for extended-field systems; recover Born statistics from energy-density/ensemble logic.

• Extended-charge electrodynamics

• Construct causal field models with finite geometry that reproduce bound states, spectra, and selection rules; include magnetic energy and torque.

• Regularization by construction

• Replace point-particle renormalization with finite shape factors; show automatic UV convergence and parameter emergence from geometry.

• Gauge and geometry unified

• Reinterpret U(1)/SU(2) gauge as orientation/phase kinematics of real modes; connect “mixing” to coherent rotation rather than abstract groups.

• Strong-interaction picture (exploratory)

• Treat color as internal phase–polarization texture; model confinement as closure of vorticity/phase loops (self-binding of field modes).

5) Education and culture (how we teach and talk)

• Curriculum reset

• From waves to spectra: start with classical fields, boundaries, and resonance; then introduce spectral methods as representations.

• Define “quantum state” precisely (vector, wavefunction, density operator) and tie each to measurable energy densities and flows.

• Demystify hallmark concepts

• Replace “collapse” with boundary reconfiguration; “superposition” with spectral expansion; “spin” with real rotation and magnetic moment.

• Present uncertainty as Fourier duality (methodological), not ontological fuzz.

• Laboratory literacy

• Center phase coherence, mode matching, apertures, and global constraints in all lab courses; treat detectors as dynamical amplifiers, not metaphysical agents.

6) Calls to action (who should do what)

• Experimentalists: Prioritize the discriminating tests above; preregister designs and share raw data and analysis notebooks.

• Theorists: Build finite-geometry field models that reproduce spectra, cross sections, and magnetic response without point divergences.

• Quantum technologists: Re-express device operation in mode/field language; leverage classical signal-processing analogs where appropriate.

• Philosophers of science: Clarify realism vs. instrumentalism in light of NQT; develop criteria for “representation vs. ontology” in spectral theories.

• Educators and textbook authors: Publish NQT-aligned modules; make definitions explicit; remove mystifying language that halts mechanism-level inquiry.

• Editors and funders: Support replication, negative results, and boundary-focused experiments; incentivize mechanism-driven theory beyond curve fitting.

• Students: Learn both domains (time and frequency); demand mechanism for every formula; participate in open replications.

7) Success criteria and milestones (how we measure progress)

• 12 months

• White papers detailing the five most discriminating experiments; open-source simulation toolkits with dual-domain solvers; curriculum pilot modules.

• 24–36 months

• First empirical discriminations (e.g., trajectory reconstructions, AB phase-mapping, time-resolved “forbidden” emissions); initial finite-structure fits to g-factor trends.

• 60 months

• Cohesive finite-structure electrodynamics reproducing atomic spectra and magnetic phenomena without renormalization patches; education adoption at scale.

8) Clarifications (what NQT is—and is not)

• NQT keeps quantum theory’s predictive success but sheds mystifying ontology; it is a reinterpretation with added structure, not a rejection of the math.

• It does not posit superluminal effects, hidden variables as dogma, or anti-mathematical attitudes; it insists that every symbol earn a physical meaning.

• Nonlocality debates dissolve when correlations are traced to shared modes and boundary histories; uncertainty is a Fourier statement, not a metaphysical fog.

• “Vacuum energies” as absolutes are not observables; spectral differences and response functions are.

9) Closing pledge

• We will not trade clarity for fashion, nor mechanism for mystique. We will model what is—continuous fields, finite structures, conserved flows—and let discreteness emerge where it must: from resonance in bounded systems.

• The aim is simple and audacious: reunite quantum success with physical intelligibility, so physics can once again be both precise and understandable.

Summary of key points

• NQT restores realism, locality, and causality by treating quanta as extended field modes; discreteness arises from boundaries, not axioms.

• Wavefunctions represent spectra; measurement redefines boundaries; entanglement is correlation via shared modes.

• Finite structure replaces point idealizations and their infinities; only spectral differences are observable.

• A concrete experimental program can discriminate NQT’s mechanisms without sacrificing predictive power.

• Education must pivot from mystique to mechanism, from slogans to definitions, and from axioms to boundaries.