Quantum Superposition as Dynamical Equilibrium and Energy-Dependent Collapse in Relative Cosmic Equilibrium Theory RCE

This paper extends the Relative Cosmic Equilibrium (RCE) framework to the foundations of quantum mechanics. We demonstrate that the Schrödinger equation emerges naturally from the linearized dynamics of a single scalar energy deviation field ΔE(x, t) near equilibrium, without imposing quantization postulates. Planck’s constant ℏ appears as a derived quantity — the minimal topological action unit of the field. Quantum superposition is reinterpreted as a stable multimodal dynamical equilibrium in which the field coherently populates degenerate minima of the effective action. Measurement is physically defined as the introduction of an external energy gradient that breaks this degeneracy, triggering an exponential relaxation toward a single definite outcome. A key result is the derivation of a falsifiable, energy-dependent collapse time: τ ≈ ℏ / ΔE_meas For conventional measurements (ΔE ~ eV), the collapse is extremely fast (~10⁻¹⁶ s). However, in weak measurements with very low energy exchange (ΔE ~ 1 neV), the theory predicts an observable collapse time of approximately 0.66 μs. A feasible table-top optical experiment using single photons and time-resolved correlation measurements is proposed to test this prediction. This work transforms the quantum measurement problem from a philosophical puzzle into a concrete, experimentally testable question.