A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma

Details A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma

2008-02-04

arxiv.org/abs/0802.0438v3

Phys.Rev.Lett.103:080401,2009

Physics

Quantum Physics

Contains slightly more material than the published version (the additional material is clearly labeled in the latex source). B

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.080401

The arrow of time dilemma: 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.

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