J. M. Isidro

AN ENTROPIC PICTURE OF EMERGENT QUANTUM MECHANICS

Quantum mechanics emerges a la Verlinde from a foliation of ℝ3 by holographic screens, when regarding the latter as entropy reservoirs that a particle can exchange entropy with. This entropy is quantized in units of Boltzmanns constant kB. The holographic screens can be treated thermodynamically as stretched membranes. On that side of a holographic screen where spacetime has already emerged, the energy representation of thermodynamics gives rise to the usual quantum mechanics. A knowledge of the different surface densities of entropy flow across all screens is equivalent to a knowledge of the quantum-mechanical wavefunction on ℝ3. The entropy representation of thermodynamics, as applied to a screen, can be used to describe quantum mechanics in the absence of spacetime, that is, quantum mechanics beyond a holographic screen, where spacetime has not yet emerged. Our approach can be regarded as a formal derivation of Plancks constant ℏ from Boltzmanns constant kB.

EMERGENT QUANTUM MECHANICS AS A CLASSICAL, IRREVERSIBLE THERMODYNAMICS

We present an explicit correspondence between quantum mechanics and the classical theory of irreversible thermodynamics as developed by Onsager, Prigogine et al. Our correspondence maps irreversible Gaussian Markov processes into the semiclassical approximation of quantum mechanics. Quantum-mechanical propagators are mapped into thermodynamical probability distributions. The Feynman path integral also arises naturally in this setup. The fact that quantum mechanics can be translated into thermodynamical language provides additional support for the conjecture that quantum mechanics is not a fundamental theory but rather an emergent phenomenon, i.e., an effective description of some underlying degrees of freedom.

Emergent quantum mechanics as a thermal ensemble

It has been argued that gravity acts dissipatively on quantum-mechanical systems, inducing thermal fluctuations that become indistinguishable from quantum fluctuations. This has led some authors to demand that some form of time irreversibility be incorporated into the formalism of quantum mechanics. As a tool towards this goal we propose a thermodynamical approach to quantum mechanics, based on Onsagers classical theory of irreversible processes and on Prigogines nonunitary transformation theory. An entropy operator replaces the Hamiltonian as the generator of evolution. The canonically conjugate variable corresponding to the entropy is a dimensionless evolution parameter. Contrary to the Hamiltonian, the entropy operator is not a conserved Noether charge. Our construction succeeds in implementing gravitationally-induced irreversibility in the quantum theory.

RICCI FLOW, QUANTUM MECHANICS AND GRAVITY

It has been argued that, underlying any given quantum-mechanical model, there exists at least one deterministic system that reproduces, after prequantization, the given quantum dynamics. For a quantum mechanics with a complex d-dimensional Hilbert space, the Lie group SU(d) represents classical canonical transformations on the projective space ℂℙd-1 of quantum states. Let R stand for the Ricci flow of the manifold SU(d-1) down to one point, and let P denote the projection from the Hopf bundle onto its base ℂℙd-1. Then the underlying deterministic model we propose here is the Lie group SU(d), acted on by the operation PR. Finally we comment on some possible consequences that our model may have on a quantum theory of gravity.

Exact solution for the time-dependent temperature field in dry grinding: application to segmental wheels

We present a closed analytical solution for the time evolution of the temperature field in dry grinding for any time-dependent friction profile between the grinding wheel and the workpiece. We base our solution in the framework of the Samara-Valencia model Skuratov et al., 2007, solving the integral equation posed for the case of dry grinding. We apply our solution to segmental wheels that produce an intermittent friction over the workpiece surface. For the same grinding parameters, we plot the temperature fields of up- and downgrinding, showing that they are quite different from each other.

Entropy, Topological Theories and Emergent Quantum Mechanics

The classical thermostatics of equilibrium processes is shown to possess a quantum mechanical dual theory with a finite dimensional Hilbert space of quantum states. Specifically, the kernel of a certain Hamiltonian operator becomes the Hilbert space of quasistatic quantum mechanics. The relation of thermostatics to topological field theory is also discussed in the context of the approach of the emergence of quantum theory, where the concept of entropy plays a key role.

Generalised complex geometry in thermodynamical fluctuation theory

We present a brief overview of some key concepts in the theory of generalized complex manifolds. This new geometry interpolates, so to speak, between symplectic geometry and complex geometry. As such it provides an ideal framework to analyze thermodynamical fluctuation theory in the presence of gravitational fields. To illustrate the usefulness of generalized complex geometry, we examine a simplified version of the Unruh effect: the thermalising effect of gravitational fields on the Schroedinger wavefunction.

A Holographic Map of Action onto Entropy

We propose a holographic correspondence between the action integral I describing the mechanics of a finite number of degrees of freedom in the bulk, and the entropy S of the boundary (a holographic screen) enclosing that same volume. The action integral must be measured in units of (i times) Plancks constant, while the entropy must be measured in units of Boltzmanns constant. In this way we are led to an intriguing relation between the second law of thermodynamics and the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics.

Lp-spectrum of the Schrödinger operator with inverted harmonic oscillator potential

We determine the Lp-spectrum of the Schrodinger operator with the inverted harmonic oscillator potential V(x) = −x2 for 1≤p≤∞.

Schroedinger vs. Navier–Stokes

Quantum mechanics has been argued to be a coarse-graining of some underlying deterministic theory. Here we support this view by establishing a map between certain solutions of the Schroedinger equation, and the corresponding solutions of the irrotational Navier–Stokes equation for viscous fluid flow. As a physical model for the fluid itself we propose the quantum probability fluid. It turns out that the (state-dependent) viscosity of this fluid is proportional to Planck’s constant, while the volume density of entropy is proportional to Boltzmann’s constant. Stationary states have zero viscosity and a vanishing time rate of entropy density. On the other hand, the nonzero viscosity of nonstationary states provides an information-loss mechanism whereby a deterministic theory (a classical fluid governed by the Navier–Stokes equation) gives rise to an emergent theory (a quantum particle governed by the Schroedinger equation).