The arrow-of-time dilemma states that the laws of physics are invariant for time inversion, whereas the familiar phenomena we see everyday are not (i.e., entropy increases). I show that, within a quantum mechanical framework, all phenomena which leave a trail of information behind (and hence can be studied by physics) are those where entropy necessarily increases or remains constant. All phenomena where the entropy decreases must not leave any information of their having happened. This situation is completely indistinguishable from their not having happened at all. In the light of this observation, the second law of thermodynamics is reduced to a mere tautology: physics cannot study those processes where entropy has decreased, even if they were commonplace.

A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma

MACCONE, LORENZO
2009-01-01

Abstract

The arrow-of-time dilemma states that the laws of physics are invariant for time inversion, whereas the familiar phenomena we see everyday are not (i.e., entropy increases). I show that, within a quantum mechanical framework, all phenomena which leave a trail of information behind (and hence can be studied by physics) are those where entropy necessarily increases or remains constant. All phenomena where the entropy decreases must not leave any information of their having happened. This situation is completely indistinguishable from their not having happened at all. In the light of this observation, the second law of thermodynamics is reduced to a mere tautology: physics cannot study those processes where entropy has decreased, even if they were commonplace.
2009
The Physics category includes resources of a broad, general nature that contain materials from all areas of physics, The category also includes resources specifically concerned with the following physics sub-fields: mathematical physics, particle and nuclear physics, physics of fluids and plasmas, quantum physics, and theoretical physics.
Sì, ma tipo non specificato
Inglese
Internazionale
STAMPA
103
080401
Thermodynamics; Thermodynamic functions and equations of state; Quantum information; Entanglement and quantum nonlocality
http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v103/i8/e080401
1
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
262
Maccone, Lorenzo
1 Contributo su Rivista::1.1 Articolo in rivista
none
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11571/220408
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