Wave Function Collapse as an Energy-Induced Physical Process

This work proposes an objective collapse mechanism in which wave function reduction is triggered when the energy exchanged between a quantum system and a measurement apparatus exceeds a critical threshold Ec. The dynamics is described by an energy-dependent Lindblad master equation that preserves total energy while suppressing coherences above Ec. An interferometric test based on a Mach–Zehnder setup with tunable measurement strength is proposed, predicting a threshold-like loss of visibility. The critical energy can be related to a minimal mass change via E = mc², providing an operational link to Penrose–Diósi gravitational collapse scenarios.