Abstract

Quantum theory determines the evolution of quantum states between quantum jumps. Quantum theory also allows us to calculate rates of quantum jumps and, on a probabilistic level, the outcomes of those quantum jumps. Both quantum jumps and the continuous evolution of quantum states are important in the time evolution of quantum systems, and the scattering matrix ties those seemingly disparate concepts together. Indeed, quantum jumps are so essential in quantum dynamics that we should refocus discussion of a quantum ontology on the power and principal limitations of our knowledge about quantum jumps as encoded in the scattering matrix. On the one hand, one might argue that the lack of a dynamical resolution of quantum jumps indicates an inherent incompleteness of the theory. However, we would rather submit that quantum theory is complete and that the observations indicate a principal limitation to the description of the universe as a smoothly evolving dynamical system. The modern understanding of quantum jumps therefore calls for updates to the Copenhagen interpretation instead of modifications of quantum theory.