On the correspondence between the arrows of time

A. Frank

Francesco Mappa

This work proposes an original formulation that establishes a rigorous mathematical correspondence between the quantum arrow of time, emerging from decoherence and measurement processes, and the thermodynamic arrow of time, associated with the increase in entropy. The central thesis is that these two arrows are not independent phenomena, but different manifestations of a single fundamental principle of quantum information dissipation.

H. D. Zeh

Gerald F. Thomas

Detlev Buchholz A, Klaus Fredenhagen

Abstract Based on the hypothesis that the (non-reversible) arrow of time is intrinsic in any system, no matter how small, the consequences are discussed. Within the framework of local quantum physics it is shown how such a semi-group action of time can consistently be extended to that of the group of spacetime translations in Minkowski space. In presence of massless excitations, however, there arise ambiguities in the theoretical extensions of the time translations to the past. The corresponding loss of quantum information on states upon time is determined. Finally, it is explained how the description of operations in classical terms combined with constraints imposed by the arrow of time leads to a quantum theoretical framework. These results suggest that the arrow of time is fundamental in nature and not merely a consequence of statistical effects on which the Second Law is based.

Merab Gogberashvili

Usually, it is supposed that irreversibility of time appears only in macrophysics. Here, we attempt to introduce the microphysical arrow of time assuming that at a fundamental level nature could be non-associative. Obtaining numerical results of a measurement, which requires at least three ingredients: object, device and observer, in the non-associative case depends on ordering of operations and is ambiguous. We show that use of octonions as a fundamental algebra, in any measurement, leads to generation of unavoidable 18.6 bit relative entropy of the probability density functions of the active and passive transformations, which correspond to the groups G2 and SO(7), respectively. This algebraical entropy can be used to determine the arrow of time, analogically as thermodynamic entropy does.