Quantum kinematics of spacetime. II. A model quantum cosmology with real clocks

Journal Article · Tue Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.38.2985· OSTI ID:6702305

Hartle, J B

Nonrelativistic model quantum cosmologies are studied in which the basic time variable is the position of a clock indicator and the time parameter of the Schroedinger equation is an unobservable label. Familiar Schroedinger-Heisenberg quantum mechanics emerges if the clock is ideal: arbitrarily accurate for arbitrarily long times. More realistically, however, the usual formulation emerges only as an approximation appropriate to states of this model universe in which part of the system functions approximately as an ideal clock. It is suggested that the quantum kinematics of spacetime theories such as general relativity may be analogous to those of this model. In particular it is suggested that our familiar notion of time in quantum mechanics is not an inevitable property of a general quantum framework but an approximate feature of specific initial conditions.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
• OSTI ID: 6702305
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 38:10; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BANACH SPACE
COSMOLOGY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
HILBERT SPACE
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PROBABILITY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
SPACE
SPACE-TIME
UNIVERSE
WAVE EQUATIONS