Testing Quantum Mechanics in the Cosmic Silence - Signals from Quantum Collapse models and Violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle?
Prof. Dr. Catalina Curceanu (INFN, Rom/Italy)

We are experimentally investigating possible departures from the standard quantum mechanics’ predictions at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy.

In particular, with refined radiation detectors, we are searching signals predicted by the dynamical collapse models (spontaneous emission of radiation) which were proposed to solve the “measurement problem” in quantum physics, and signals indicating a possible violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle.

I shall discuss our recent results which ruled out the natural parameter-free version of the gravity-related collapse model. I shall then present more generic results on testing CSL (Continuous Spontaneous Localization) collapse models and discuss future perspectives.

Finally, I shall present the VIP experiment, with which we search for possible violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle manifested as “impossible” atomic transitions, and muse about the impact of this research in relation to Quantum Gravity models.