The Arrow of Time in Physics

Wallace, David

doi:10.1002/9781118522097.ch16

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…(3) Some, such as Wallace ([2012]), propose that under special conditions the irreversible SM dynamics will give the same density over the relevant degrees of freedom as the microdynamics.…”

Section: Why Does This Methods Work?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetry, Abstraction, and Autonomy: Justifying Coarse-Graining in Statistical Mechanics

Robertson¹

2020

The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

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While the fundamental laws of physics are time-reversal invariant, most macroscopic processes are irreversible. Given that the fundamental laws are taken to underpin all other processes, how can the fundamental time-symmetry be reconciled with the asymmetry manifest elsewhere? In statistical mechanics (SM), progress can be made with this question. What I dub the ‘Zwanzig–Zeh–Wallace framework’ can be used to construct the irreversible equations of SM from the underlying microdynamics. Yet this framework uses coarse-graining, a procedure that has faced much criticism. I focus on two objections in the literature: claims that coarse-graining makes time-asymmetry (i) ‘illusory’ and (ii) ‘anthropocentric’. I argue that these objections arise from an unsatisfactory justification of coarse-graining prevalent in the literature, rather than from coarse-graining itself. This justification relies on the idea of measurement imprecision. By considering the role that abstraction and autonomy play, I provide an alternative justification and offer replies to the illusory and anthropocentric objections. Finally, I consider the broader consequences of this alternative justification: the connection to debates about inter-theoretic reduction and the implication that the time-asymmetry in SM is weakly emergent. 1Introduction 1.1Prospectus2The Zwanzig–Zeh–Wallace Framework3Why Does This Method Work? 3.1The special conditions account3.2When is a density forwards-compatible?4Anthropocentrism and Illusion: Two Objections 4.1The two objections in more detail4.2Against the justification by measurement imprecision5An Alternative Justification 5.1Abstraction and autonomy5.2An illustration: the Game of Life6Reply to Illusory7Reply to Anthropocentric8The Wider Landscape: Concluding Remarks 8.1Inter-theoretic relations8.2The nature of irreversibility

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Section: Why Does This Methods Work?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetry, Abstraction, and Autonomy: Justifying Coarse-Graining in Statistical Mechanics

Robertson¹

2020

The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

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“…Considering the new TTE formulation with regard to 'the arrow of time', see for instance WALLACE [22], leads to results, that the new formulation satisfies appropriate conditions, especially, due to a strictly monotonic characteristic, see assumption (A-3). As mentioned above, other comparable formulations may exist, whereat a verification should be checked for each formulation with the condition that the second law of thermodynamics must be satisfied.…”

Section: The New Tte Formulation Relating To 'The Arrow Of Time'mentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction of a Power Law Time-Temperature Equivalent Formulation for the Description of Thermorheologically Simple and Complex Behavior

Qiao¹,

Nagelschmidt²,

Herbrich³

et al. 2022

Materials

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In this work, a conceptual framework is suggested for analyzing thermorheologically simple and complex behavior by using just one approach. Therefore, the linear relation between master time and real time which is required in terms of the time-temperature superposition principle was enhanced to a nonlinear equivalent relation. Furthermore, we evaluate whether there is any relation among well-known existing time-temperature equivalent formulations which makes it possible to generalize different existing formulations. For this purpose, as an example, the power law formulation was used for the definition of the master time. The method introduced here also contributes a further framework for a unification of established time-temperature equivalent formulations, for example the time-temperature superposition principle and time-temperature parameter models. Results show, with additional normalization conditions, most of the developed time-temperature parameter models can be treated as special cases of the new formulation. In the aspect of the arrow of time, the new defined master time is a bended arrow of time, which can help to understand the corresponding physical meaning of the suggested method.

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“…Naturalmente, desde un enfoque estrictamente reduccionista, se ha considerado que leyes o ecuaciones dinámicas pertenecientes a teorías fundamentales tienen preeminencia tanto conceptual como empírica frente a teorías consideradas nofundamentales o incluso fenomenológicas. Dicho esto, resulta comprensible cierto escepticismo reinante en la comunidad a la hora de dar una respuesta positiva a si efectivamente las teorías físicas vigentes permiten fundamentar una flecha del tiempo, ya que la mayoría de las leyes fundamentales, a primera vista, resultan ser T-invariantes (ver Price 1996, Maudlin 2007, Wallace 2012, North 2012. Este resultado ecuménicamente aceptado abre una serie de complejos problemas, como, por ejemplo, el de reconciliar un mundo macroscópico temporalmente asimétrico descripto por leyes fenomenológicas no T-invariantes (como el Segundo Principio del a Termodinámica), con un mundo microscópico temporalmente simétrico, descripto por leyes T-invariantes.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

¿Es posible definir una flecha cuántica del tiempo mediante la hipótesis del colapso?

López

Fortín

2019

Metatheo

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El problema de la flecha del tiempo, desde la perspectiva de la filosofía de la física, busca establecer si es posible fundamentar nuestras intuiciones de un tiempo asimétrico a partir del carácter asimétrico de las leyes físicas fundamentales, en particular, a partir de la propiedad de invariancia temporal. En mecánica cuántica se ha argumentado que es posible fundamentar una flecha del tiempo apelando a las nociones de ‘colapso’ o ‘reducción’ del estado o de la función de onda’ al llevar a cabo procesos de medición: la hipótesis del colapso constituiría una ley fundamental de la teoría que es no invariante ante inversión temporal, introduciendo una asimetría objetiva en el mundo físico: los sistemas colapsan, pero no “descolapsan”. En este trabajo argumentaremos contra una flecha del tiempo cuántica introducida mediante la noción de colapso.

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The Arrow of Time in Physics

Cited by 13 publications

References 51 publications

Asymmetry, Abstraction, and Autonomy: Justifying Coarse-Graining in Statistical Mechanics

Asymmetry, Abstraction, and Autonomy: Justifying Coarse-Graining in Statistical Mechanics

Introduction of a Power Law Time-Temperature Equivalent Formulation for the Description of Thermorheologically Simple and Complex Behavior

¿Es posible definir una flecha cuántica del tiempo mediante la hipótesis del colapso?

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