Essay Abstract

In confronting the challenge about what is ultimately possible in physics one must resolve three fundamental issues which occur at the interface between the microscopic and macroscopic levels of the universe: (1) the origin of the arrow of time in the universe; (2) the nature of macroscopic objective reality in the context quantum theory, and (3) an explanation for the emergence of macroscopic conscious minds in the universe. In response to this challenge we argue that the resolution of these three fundamental issues may be found within the paradigm of an observer-participant universe where the photon carries the arrow of time.

Author Bio

Dr. Darryl J. Leiter is a prolific research physicist, educator, and active member of the physics and astrophysics community. He is currently a professor in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the University of Virginia and is a Visiting Scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has published over 100 research papers in a number of fields, including elementary particle theory, gravitational theory, general relativity, quantum field theory, and X-ray astronomy. Currently he is collaborating with a research group at the Harvard Center For Astrophysics on a new approach to the physics of quasar structure.

Download Essay PDF File

  • [deleted]

  • Post #2

Angular momentum is the absolute arrow of time. Consider a hollow steel cylinder with wide diameter (face) and small height (edge). Punch a hole through one face's center and weld on an external hollow pipe normal to that face's plane. Cut a hole in the edge and weld on an external pipe tangent to that edge. Fill with water.

Vigorously pump water into the center pipe and out the edge pipe. This is unremarkable. Make a video. Play the video in reverse - and that is a physical impossibility. Angular momentum is conserved. The construct is a fluid diode whose operation is asymmetric to time reversal, with right- and left-handed versions.

Elegantly derived physics fails to ab initio predict weak interactions' empirical parity violations. Massed sector vacuum isotropy can be so falsified without contradicting any prior observation in any venue at any scale. The most extreme material case is opposite geometric parity distributions of atomic nuclei, and it remains unexamined. Materials that crystallize in enantiomorphic crystallographic space groups (e.g., alpha-quartz, benzil, glycine gamma-polymorph) ar reductions to practice. Quantized gravitations require an odd-parity Chern-Simons term added to classical gravitation's even-parity Einstein-Hilbert action. Opposite shoes may violate the Equivalence Principle, impacting gravitation. Noether's theorems do not require conservation of angular momentum by opposite parity (discontinuous external symmetry) atomic mass distributions, impacting quantum mechanics.

In vitro veritas! Somebody should look.

IN AN OBSERVER-PARTICIPANT UNIVERSE THE PHOTON CARRIES THE ARROW OF TIME

In order to describe the quantum electrodynamic measurement process in

a relativistic observer-participant manner, an operator symmetry of "microscopic observer-participation" called Measurement Color (MC) was incorporated into the field theoretic structure of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) in the Heisenberg Picture. It was found that the resultant Measurement Color Quantum Electrodynamics (MC-QED) contained a microscopic quantum electrodynamic arrow of time that emerged dynamically, independent of any thermodynamic or cosmological assumptions. This occured because the Measurement Color symmetry within MC-QED implied that the photon carried the arrow of time. In this context the physical requirement of a stable vacuum state in MC-QED dynamically selected operator solutions containing a causal, retarded, quantum electrodynamic arrow of time, which caused a spontaneous symmetry breaking of both T and CPT to occur. In this manner the existence of the microscopic arrow of time in MC-QED offers a quantum electrodynamic explanation for the existence of irreversible phenomena which complements that supplied by the statistical arguments in phase space associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

  • [deleted]

  • Post #4

Very interesting, i like your essay.

Concerning consciousness in the whole picture, i made an attempt to link quantum mechanics to it.

Feel free to check out my essay "To be or not to be strictly deterministic?" in the current essay contest.

Best

Stefan Weckbach

  • [deleted]

  • Post #5

Darryl Jay Leiter,

Is this really addressing what is ultimately possible in physics? It appears to be pointing out a few current difficulties and gives a possible solution. I would be interested to know why out of all the ultimate possibilities for physics you chose this particular subject.Is it shoehorning in your particular topic of interest despite Anthony Agguire's request that this was not done? Or is it, in your opinion, the most profound stumbling block to the progress of physics and its ultimate achievements.

I am not sure that realising that photons progress through time as does macroscopic matter is one of the breakthroughs that will enable physics ultimate potential to be released. Light must have the same "arrow of time" as the macroscopic world or it would not remain visible in that macroscopic world. It has seemed to me to be such a small part of the bigger picture. Perhaps I have been overlooking its significance.

I would be interested in your other ideas if they were more accessible to a non specialist. I could not really follow what you were saying and do not have the time to carefully analyse and decipher its meaning to see whether I agree.It is a pity the essay is so short. I would have preferred a longer essay that took the time to elaborate and give some background, that would assist non specialists in this particular field of enquiry, and would also help to explain the ideas more clearly. Though that is perhaps just my personal preference. Others may find the concise technical writing style to their liking.

Dear Stefan Weckbach,

Thank you for your interest in my essay. In intend to read your essay "To be or not to be strictly deterministic?" and see if our ideas about consciousness and quantum mechanics have any interesting connections.

Best,

Dr. Darryl Leiter

Dear Georgina Perry,

Thank you for your interest in my essay. The essay does not represent a shoehorning a particular topic of interest into the subject of the essay contest. This fact was clearly appreciated by the Editorial board of the FQXi because they accepted the validity of my introductory statement that:

In considering the question about what is ultimately possible in physics one must confront three fundamental issues, which occur at the interface between the microscopic and macroscopic levels of the universe:

1) The problem of the asymmetry between the description of the microscopic and macroscopic "Arrows of Time" in the universe;

2) The problem of the asymmetry between microscopic quantum objects and macroscopic classical objects inherent in the laws of quantum physics;

3) The problem of finding a physical explanation of how living, macroscopic conscious observers emerge from the microscopic laws of quantum physics.

My essay discusses how the resolution of these three fundamental questions, in context of the new paradigm of Measurement Color Quantum Electrodynamics

(MC-QED) will lead to new discoveries about what is ultimately possible in physics.

This is because MC-QED and its intrinsic arrow of time will be able to reveal the connection between quantum mechanics and consciousness. In addition it this new paradigm has profound implications for Cosmology and Particle Physics since the Measurement Color paradigm upon which MC-QED is based can be extended into Measurement Color generalizations of the Standard Model and Grand Unified Theories.

Best wishes,

Dr. Darryl Leiter

  • [deleted]

  • Post #8

Darryl Jay Leiter,

Glad to hear it. I do not know how the editorial board has selected the essays. There appear to be quite a lot that do not actually fit the initial brief concerning what would be appropriate.If they were too selective there might not be enough eligible entries to make much of a competition.

I have now read the same thing 4 times.In your abstract, introduction. conclusion and repeated here. It does not provide any more information the 4th time than the first.( Yes I did actually read your essay, from beginning to end, returning to those part that were least comprehensible to me several times before finally giving up on it.)

So you are claiming that what is ultimately possible in physics is that we will learn more about what is ultimately possible. You make grand claims for your MC-QED but your writing style dissuades me from any further attempts to understand the content of your essay. It was not written for me though. There may be others that find it to their liking. If your new paradigm proves to be successful I will be able to read a friendly dummed down version in the New scientist one day soon, so no need to discuss it here. Good luck.

Dear Georgina Perry,

I really appreciate your careful attempt to understand my essay so I want

to make sure that you understand the main point of the essay which is profound.

MC-QED and its photon which carries the arrow of time will open the door to finding the connection between quantum mechanics and consciousness. This is ultimately what is possible in physics.

In this way we may be able to find a connection between our minds and the "mind of the universe".

What could be more incredible.

Thanks again for your interesting posts.

Dr. Darryl Leiter

5 days later

  • [deleted]

  • Post #10

Dear Darryl,

Thank you for your interest in my work. I too have read your essay with interest, and it is nice to note that we agree on the need to understand properly the emergence of the macroscopic world from the microscopic world. I have two questions. While you discuss decoherence, would you also not need to invoke the many worlds interpretation? Secondly, can you please explain to me again how the photons carry an arrow of time?

Thanks,

Tejinder

  • [deleted]

  • Post #11

Dear Darryl Jay Leiter

Origin of arrow of time in the universe ?

Arrow of time has origin in the human mind.

In the universe there is not time, only motion.

With physical time that is run of clocks we measure motion in timeless universe.

Strange enough, but so are results of my research.

yours AmritAttachment #1: 6_TIMELLESS_QUANTUM_SPACE.doc

Dear Tejinder,

Thanks for your reply and your interesting essay. Here are the answers to your two questions:

Q1. While you discuss decoherence, would you also not need to invoke the many worlds interpretation?

A1. No! In Measurement Color Quantum Electrodynamics (MC-QED) (arXiv:0902.4667) it is shown that an intrinsic time irreversibility occurs thru spontaneous symmetry breaking of the CPT symmetry. This generates a time reversal violating quantum measurement interaction in the Hamiltonian of the formalism. If this Hamiltonian is then decomposed into a system part and an environment part this CPT violations causes intrinsically time reversal violating decoherence effects to occur in the reduced density matrix associated with the system part which is traced over the environment part of the Hamilton. These intrinsically time reversal violating decoherence effects do more than just diagonalize the density matrix of the system. Instead they actually project out individual states similar to what you would expect for a Von Neumann projection operator. For this reason MC-QED does not require many worlds interpretation. Instead it dynamically supplies its own interpretation in the context of its formal structure.

Q2. Secondly, can you please explain to me again how the photons carry an arrow of time?

A2: MC-QED is a non-local quantum field theory in which the quantum electrodynamic arrow of time emerges dynamically because the microscopic observer-participant operator structure of the formalism implies that the local time-symmetric "free photon operator" is non-physical since it cannot be given a Measurement Color description. Instead it must be replaced by a Measurement Color Symmetric Total Coupled Radiation Charge-Field photon operator which is non-local and carries a negative time parity under the Wigner Time Reversal operator Tw. Because of this difference between the QED and MC-QED photon operator structure, the physical requirement that a stable vacuum state exists dynamically constrains the MC-QED Heisenberg operator equations of motion to contain a causal retarded quantum electrodynamic arrow of time independent of external thermodynamic or cosmological assumptions.

The MC-QED formalism is a non-local quantum field theory which obeys a generalized time reversal invariance symmetry, where the time reversal operator T is generalized to become the direct product of the Wigner Time Reversal operator Tw and the Radiation Energy-Momentum Flow Reversal operator Tp given by T = Tw x Tp. In this context this implies that the CPT symmetry is conserved in MC-QED where T is generalized to become T= Tw x Tp. However, even though it preserves the generalized T = Tw x Tp symmetry, the presence of the negative Tw parity photon charge-field operator in MC-QED causes it to separately violate both the Tw and the Tp symmetries.

In this context the presence of the negative Wigner Time Reversal parity photon charge-field operator the MC-QED formalism, in conjunction with the physical requirement of a stable vacuum state in MC-QED, spontaneously breaks both the T and the CPT symmetry of the MC-QED formalism by dynamically selecting the operator solution containing a causal, retarded, quantum electrodynamic arrow of time. In this manner the existence of the microscopic arrow of time in MC-QED represents a fundamentally quantum electrodynamic explanation, for irreversible phenomena associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which complements the one supplied by the well-known statistical arguments in phase space.

I hope that this answers your questions. Further comments are appreciated

Best wishes

Darryl

  • [deleted]

  • Post #13

Dear Dr. Leiter

I enjoy as well reading your essay although I have to confess that I did not grasp some of the parts there entirely. Nevertheless one of your starting points is to formulate one of the fundamental problems like this:

3) The problem of finding a physical explanation of how living, macroscopic conscious observers emerge from the microscopic laws of quantum physics.

In this approach it is implicitly assumed that:

1) The fundamental nature of consciousness processes (whatever it is) is or can be derived out of the microscopic laws ruling quantum physical processes.

2) The fundamental nature of the "ultimate elements" of consciousness (if any) are or can be derived from the fundamental nature of the constituents of matter (whatever they are).

In my opinion we have no right to assume such things in principle so that is why in my essay I try to set up the elements in order to elucidate if we are forced to admit a dualistic approach in which the ultimate nature of consciousness cannot be derived from the fundamental nature of matter and its governing laws or we have enough "proof" (plausible hypothesis in the worst case) to reject the dualistic position as a starting point.

Dear Anonymous,

You have stated earlier that:

"In principle we have no right to assume that the fundamental nature of the "ultimate elements" of consciousness can be derived from the fundamental nature of the constituents of matter. Until we have enough "proof" to reject the dualistic position as a starting point we require a dualistic approach in which the ultimate nature of consciousness cannot be derived from the fundamental nature of matter and its governing laws.

My reply is as follows:

The "proof" that is required to reject a dualistic approach exists in the form of the Measurement Color Quantum Electrodynamic formalism and its photon which carries the arrow of time. This is because it represents a nonlocal quantum field theory of quantum measurment which has the capability of being able to open the door to finding the connection between quantum mechanics and consciousness. This is ultimately what is possible in physics.

In this way we may be able to find a connection between our minds and the "mind of the universe".

What could be more incredible!

Thanks again for your interesting posts. Further comments appreciated

Greetings Darryl,

Your intriguing essay was perhaps more interesting for me, because I will be presenting on a related topic next month at FFP10, Do Thermodynamic Entropy and Quantum Non-locality Have a Common Basis?. My contest essay also touches on this subject. And I found the work of H.Dieter Zeh helpful in both contexts, as well (I note its appearance in your references).

I like your premise and conclusions, but was not as happy with the explanation because it seemed as though you left some gaps in the logical sequence, in proving your core concept, and hastened to add the final connection with Quantum Brain Dynamics - with little justification. That piece seems more like an afterthought than the culmination of your earlier statements. Not quite ad hoc, but not compellingly connected. Without reading the QBD book and your earlier papers on MC-QED, it's hard to tell if there is a legitimate connection.

I don't like it when an author abdicates the responsibility to explain earlier work concisely, and instead says "As I proved in (4), there is an obvious connection..." You are a little better. You seem to move directly from the microscale to the macroscopic observer, however, without any attention to what is between, and according to decoherence theory that's where all the fun is! The whole transition from Quantum to Classical behavior merges because although decoherence is swift, it is not immediate. And DT asserts that the wavefunction does not simply collapse, but rather gets spread out through entangling interactions, and with the larger environment.

I like your basic conclusion, and find your research helpful, because it may assist me extending my work further into the microscale. As I pointed out elsewhere on these forums, it is energy that moves both the thermodynamic and quantum mechanical arrow of time forward, or at least points in the same direction. Thought you might say a bit more about the observer effect dictating that the observer is also participant. I've also researched the Quantum Brain connection, but hadn't heard of the Nambu-Goldstone bosons used in QBD before reading your essay and doing a little research. I do have a couple of other papers to offer (and references to recommend), which may be helpful filling in the gaps, if you are interested.

All the Best,

Jonathan J. Dickau

Dear Jonathan Dickau,

You commented that: You seem to move directly from the microscale to the macroscopic observer, however, without any attention to what is between, and according to decoherence theory (DT) that's where all the fun is! The whole transition from Quantum to Classical behavior merges because although decoherence is swift, it is not immediate. And DT asserts that the wavefunction does not simply collapse, but rather gets spread out through entangling interactions, and with the larger environment.

My answer to your comment is as follows:

WHY MC-QED IMPLIES AN INTRINSICALLY TIME REVERSAL VIOLATING DECOHERENCE PROCESS WHICH INCLUDES A WAVE-FUNCTION COLLAPSE.

It has been shown [Leiter, D., (2009), On the Origin of the Classical and Quantum Electrodynamic Arrows of Time, ArXiv:0902.4667] that for a sufficiently large aggregate of atomic systems (which are described by the bare state component of MC-QED Hamiltonian and assumed to exist in an "environment" associated with the retarded quantum measurement interaction component of the MC-QED Hamiltonian), the net effect of the quantum measurement interaction in MC-QED will generate intrinsically time reversal violating decoherence effects on the reduced density matrix in a manner which can give large aggregates of atomic systems apparently classical properties.

This is in contrast to the time reversal symmetric case of QED where the local quantum decoherence effects only appear to be time irreversible. This occurs in the time symmetric description of decoherence in QED because a local observer does not have access to the entire wave function and, while interference effects appear to be eliminated, individual states have not been projected out.

Hence we conclude that the resolution of the problem of the asymmetry between microscopic quantum objects and macroscopic classical objects inherent in the laws of quantum physics can be found in the MC-QED formalism, because the intrinsically time reversal violating quantum decoherence effects inherent within it imply that MC-QED does not require an independent external complementary classical level of physics obeying strict Macroscopic Realism in order to obtain a physical interpretation.

Thanks again for your interest.

Dr. Darryl Leiter

Hello again,

Thanks for taking time to answer. I should say 'Oh shucks!" because you said "It has been shown" and are still making me read your longer paper rather than clearly explaining your core concept in the essay or the forum.

I have downloaded arXiv:0902.4667. I will look deeper, but I haven't found yet where it explains conceptually what Measurement Color actually is. Ergo; perhaps I understand your logic better than I do the set-up.

Please explain why an Abelian operator gauge symmetry should be called Measurement Color. How does this relate to microscopic operator observer-participation? It seems obvious that, at the microscale, other particles act as measuring probes assuming a role as both observer and participant, but much of your meaning remains obscure.

What does Measurement Color signify, as this relates to what is being measured? Is MC a means to include the energetic component of the observer wrt the object? Are you simply requiring that the object-observer/participant relationships be assumed symmetric? If so, what makes it colorful?

Perhaps I am having semantic difficulty as the term Color is a fanciful one, in this context. If I read your entire arXiv paper and you haven't explained it, I may may take issue. Perhaps you should have called it evasive Black Box theory instead (written with tongue in cheek).

But I am trying to understand what you are actually saying.

Regards,

Jonathan

Dear Dr. Leiter,

I enjoyed reading your essay too, and I also took a look at your arxiv paper. My daily job prevented me to give you a more rapid answer. Your idea to use retarded potentials to provide a time arrow for the photon is interesting, and you use it to derive interesting connections. Something strange happened: your comment on my thread was removed without a trace. Any idea?

Best regards,

Cristi

Hello Again,

I think I might have figured it out, or answered one of my own questions. Please tell me, Dr. Leiter, if this is what you are talking about.

When you are talking about Measurement Color, this is an an attempt to quantify the fact that the process of making a Measurement will Color what we measure, because the observer is also acting as a participant. This statement is true even if both the observer and observed are sub-atomic particles. Therefore you are apparently asserting that it is possible to accomplish quantifying measurement's effect by imposing an Abelian gauge symmetry, associated with this observer-participant aspect of measurements, upon the structure of QED. Is this correct?

That is; by figuring in how each measurement will color what is measured, and applying this rule to every microscale interaction, you are able to alter or expand QED. And you have extended QED in such a way that by adding in the coloration of measurement, you derive a theory that is explicitly causal, or reveals the directionality of time.

Am I getting closer to understanding what you are talking about?

Regards,

Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

(JONATHAN QUESTION) When you are talking about Measurement Color, this is an an attempt to quantify the fact that the process of making a Measurement will Color what we measure, because the observer is also acting as a participant. This statement is true even if both the observer and observed are sub-atomic particles. Therefore you are apparently asserting that it is possible to accomplish quantifying measurement's effect by imposing an Abelian gauge symmetry, associated with this observer-participant aspect of measurements, upon the structure of QED. Is this correct?

(DJL ANSWER) Congratulation! You have got the idea exactly right!

(JONATHAN QUESTION) That is; by figuring in how each measurement will color what is measured, and applying this rule to every microscale interaction, you are able to alter or expand QED.

(DJL ANSWER: Yes this is correct! In MC-QED I have mathematically used the word "Measurement Color" in as an extension of the concept of color is used in the Standard Model to denote the different kinds of quantum particle forces. I am extending the QED formalism by using an additonal Abelian microscopic quantum particle field operator has an integer name which I call its MEASUREMENT COLOR to impose and operator type of "observer-participation" onto the field theoretic formalism. In the Standard Model the Abelian observer-participant symmetry of Measurement Color can be used in addition to the non-Abelian SU3 x SU2 x U1 symmetries.

(JONATHAN QUESTION): And you have extended QED in such a way that by adding in the coloration of measurement, you derive a theory that is explicitly causal, or reveals the directionality of time.Am I getting closer to understanding what you are talking about?

(DJL ANSWER): Yes! The impostion of the observer-participant Measurement Color operator symmetry, onto both the electron-positron and the photon operator fields in QED, leads to the MC-QED formalism which has the form of a non-local quantum field theory is C, P, and CP invatiant but spontaneosly violates the T symmetry. The resulant violation of the CPT theorem implias that the photon carries the causal arrow of time. This observer-particpant formulation of quantum electrodynamics has the potential to open the door to finding the connection between quantum mechanics and consciousness. In this way we may be able to find a connection between our minds and the "mind of the universe".

What could be more incredible!

Dr. Darryl Leiter