At the 1958 Solvay conference on physics, the physicist Thomas Gold gave a lecture on the arrow of time. (The conference materials can be found at http://www.solvayinstitutes.be/pdf/Proceedings_Physics/1958.pdf.) In the lecture (p. 86) he concluded that the large scale motion of the universe appears to be responsible for time’s arrow. Perhaps, he suggested (p. 87) the expansion might be deduced from “small scale effects only.” Since his 1958 lecture physics has added to our store of knowledge, by the detection in 1998 of dark energy that leads to an expanding (accelerating perhaps) universe, and by various instances that suggest a scale invariant 4/3 scaling law. (I have written about 4/3 scaling in articles on arXiv and several on RG.) The 4/3 scaling law implies the existence of two reference frames one of four dimensions and one of 3 dimensions which coincidentally compares to Gold’s mention of two universes, but in a different context. I suspect there are reasons to think Gold was prescient. Wikipedia at the time of writing (August 29, 2018) describes the arrow of time as an unsolved general physics question. Do you have suggestions then what might be the answer to this question?
I'll give you my opinion about it, but without having carefully read everything you propose in the question, so take it with caution, and if you can get new ideas are welcome.
First you have to ask yourself if time really exists (there are some papers especially in quantum physics that doubt its existence) if you look, our way of measuring time, whether in an hourglass, in the seconds of a clock, in the transitions of an atomic clock, etc. It always consists of a movement "perpendicular" to another movement.
We take a movement in our 3 dimensions and attribute it to that is a movement in a 4ª dimension (time) and now we compare in our 3 dimensions one and the other.
That 4ª real dimension could be given by the expansion of the universe? Well, it seems to me a more natural way to define the time than the one given so far by our watches.
I know that now the universe is considered flat, but and the limits? uncomfortable questions appear.
The most natural way that the universe should have would be a hypersphere with time (or that 4ª dimension) making hyper-radius, increasing, and thus making our hyper-surface (3 dimensions) expand, but when comparing that movement In that 4ª most natural dimension, we would not distinguish the arrow of time as you say.
if you are interested, you can read it all in more detail in my paper "ALL SPECIAL RELATIVITY EQUATIONS OBTAINED WITH GALILEAN TRANSFORMATION & EINSTEIN FIELD EQUATIONS OBTAINED ONLY WITH GAUSS CURVATURE AND ZOOM UNIVERSE MODEL CHARACTERISTICS (ZOOM THEORY)"
The theory of expanding Universe cannot explain arrow of time, because this theory is found on the metric, where the time flows with the constant velocity from the past to the future as in the flat 3-dimensional space. Inside the real space, where can rotate and gravitate, we must use another description. All metrics describing expanding universe can be applied only for non-gravitating and non-rotating 3-space. We do not know about the global rotation of the universe, but it can posses global gravitational field, which cannot be weak. If we''ll consider another models of the universe (de Sitter space, for example) we find that arrow of time does not exist: the time can flow from the future to the past and can be stopped. the time is stopped at the horizon of events. The live of the universe is constant transformation of the future to the time< and we perceive only thee moment of the present.
Hello Robert Shour
There are TWO physical elements that define the arrow of time.
1: Thermodynamics by the second principle: The second principle of thermodynamics explicitly states that the majority of phenomena are irreversible (non-zero entropy). As a result, "back up" in time is impossible. What is done is done. Irreversibility thus testifies to the causality of phenomena and therefore of the arrow of time. This is only valid if we consider the Universe as closed, thus inducing an increase in entropy.
2: The problem of measurement in quantum physics (or uncertainty of Heisenberg): which says measuring problem, says impossibility to know at the same time the velocity and the position of the particle, therefore impossible to know its energy. As a result, it is impossible to make the microscopic phenomena reversible.
3: the violation of CP symmetry
4: the arrow of the radiative time: one eliminates the advanced waves like
solutions of Maxwell's equations
5: the physics of black holes, or the thermodynamics of black holes (cf 1).
6: causality: it is the very foundation of science. An event A produces an event B, and B can not act on A. This is fundamental. And that's something we watch every day.
The universe may not be expanding. One can imagine that the universe is "piled up" and that we are "blinded" by a phenomenon of "lens" which makes us believe that the universe is expanding while no. After, it's a simple hypothesis.
Whether the universe is expanding, stationary or the other way around, does not change much. From the moment when there is MOVEMENT, there is entropy. Because the movement involves a kinetic energy that is a witness to the irreversibility of a phenomenon. You can very well put an object in its place for example. But you will have to bring energy so that this same object comes back in its place. And this energy to provide is so colossal for certain irreversible phenomena that it is impossible to go back.
Hope this helped you,
Regards,
BAUDRIMONT Roman
Roman Budrimont
Thank you for your post explaining the physical elements that define the arrow of time, informative and helpful, and thank you for taking the time to reply and to share your knowledge.
Best wishes.
Bob Shour
Dear Robert,
The arrow of (cosmic, ict) time is a matter of the Phase that Universe is. If we assume that Time, Mass, Charge, and Angular Momentum are the four basic/elementary properties then these are changing values (from negative to positive or the opposite) according to the Phase of Universe.
You are absolutely right wether you imply that there are two reference frames on witch Universe is acting. These are resembled by our "real" and "imaginary" realms.(In contrast to the multi-Universes theories). Rule of 3/4 is indeed related to these two different frames. There are two possibilities for the cause of this relation: 1. The proportion of the metric units, of these two frames, is (3/4)0.5, and 2) The elementary dimensions of these frames are 4 for "real" and 3 for "imaginary" one. Note that 4 or 3 dimensions are not independent, so we should speak about a pseudo-(2+1)D for "real" and a pseudo-(1+1)D for "imaginary" spacetime. https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_dimensionality_of_spacetime
PS: The two reference frames are related to the Transactional Interpretation of QM and the notion of causality as well.
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