Which came first, spacetime or clocks?

Emergent Quantum Mechanics 2013

物理学;力学

Ord, G.N.^1

Department of Mathematics, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada^1

关键词: Continuum limits;    Digital clocks;    Dirac equations;    Minkowski space-time;    Quantum-classical divides;    Spacetime;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/504/1/012011/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/504/1/012011

学科分类：力学，机械学

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Emergent quantum mechanics seeks a deeper level theory, anticipating that such a theory will provide a clearer picture of the relation between the quantum and classical worlds. In this work we show that the quantum-classical divide is a manifestation of the transition from Newton's absolute time to relativity's path-dependent time. The prior theory in this case is that particles are intrinsic clocks. The emergence of separate classical and quantum behaviour is seen by considering different continuum limits in a single digital clock model. A continuum limit that constructs a continuous worldline provides a simple basis for Minkowski spacetime. An alternative limit in which the clock itself contains boost information leads to the Dirac equation.