The Physical Basis of the Direction of Time - Softcover

Zeh, H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3540509305 ISBN 13: 9783540509301

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K, 1989

Synopsis

The physical asymmetry of nature under time reversal is analysed in this essay. The author investigates the most important classes of phenomena that characterize a direction of time: radiation, thermodynamics, quantum phenomena, and the structure of spacetime. Their relations and the search for a cosmological common root of these "arrows of time" and of the traditional concept of causality are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on quantum indeterminism. It is argued that a common root may be found in the properties of the time-independent wave function of the universe that arises from the quantization of general relativity. This requires that the physical concept of time is reduced to a correlation between physical states, including those characterizing clocks and observers. The description of irreversible phenomena is shown to be fundamentally "observer-related" in a way that can be formalized following Zwanzig. The book is aimed mainly at the student or scientist seeking an overview of the whole issue. Compared to the German version the book has been widely revised and extended.

About this title

Review

FROM THE REVIEWS: MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS"The presentation is clear and readable. The book gives an excellent overview of the phenomena which characterize a direction of time like radiation, thermodynamics, quantum indeterminism and the structure of black holes. SCIENCE MAGAZINE" I recommend this book to those willing to devote serious effort to learning part of the subject. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS" an excellent summary of what is known at present about this fascinating mystery. FROM THE REVIEWS: ZENTRALBLATT MATH"The book contains an impressive (we d say exhaustive) list of references: almost 300 titles (papers and books) We have to mention the high scientific value of the book, its rigorous well-documented discussion of the subject, refinement and subtlety of its reasonings. We strongly recommend it to students and specialists in various fields of theoretical physics.

From the Back Cover

This thoroughly revised 5th edition of Zeh's classic text investigates irreversible phenomena and their foundation in classical, quantum and cosmological settings. It includes new sections on the meaning of probabilities in a cosmological context, irreversible aspects of quantum computers, and various consequences of the expansion of the Universe. Many other sections have been rewritten. In particular, the book contains an analysis of the physical concept of time, a detailed treatment of radiation damping as well as extended sections on quantum entanglement and decoherence, arrows of time hidden in various interpretations of quantum theory, and the emergence of time in quantum gravity. Both physicists and philosophers of science will find in this book a magnificent survey and a concise, technically sophisticated, up-to-date discussion which shows fine sensitivity to crucial conceptual subtleties. "The discussion is lucid and intuitive without glossing over the important details." Max Tegmark, MIT

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3540509305
• ISBN 13: 9783540509301
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 166