dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaHarmonically dancing space-time nodes: quantitatively deriving relativity, mass, and gravitation
| Authors | Richard Lieu |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0004071 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0004071 |
Abstract
The microscopic structure of space and time is investigated. It is proposed that space and time of an inertial observer $\Sigma$ are most conveniently described as a crystal array $\Lambda$, with nodes representing measurement `tickmarks' and connected by independent quantized harmonic oscillators which vibrate more severely the faster $\Sigma$ moves with respect to the object being measured (due to the Uncertainty Principle). The Lorentz transformation of Special Relativity is derived. Further, mass is understood as a localized region $\Delta \Lambda$ having higher vibration temperature than that of the ambient lattice. The effect of relativistic mass increase may then be calculated without appealing to energy-momentum conservation. The origin of gravitation is shown to be simply a transport of energy from the boundary of $\Delta \Lambda$ outwards by lattice phonon conduction, as the system tends towards equilibrium. Application to a single point mass leads readily to the Schwarzschild metric, while a new solution is available for two point masses - a situation where General Relativity is too complicated to work with. The important consequence is that inertial observers who move at relative speeds too close to $c$ are no longer linked by the Lorentz transformation, because the lattice of the `moving' observer has already disintegrated into a liquid state.
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"abstract": "The microscopic structure of space and time is investigated. It is proposed\nthat space and time of an inertial observer $\\Sigma$ are most conveniently\ndescribed as a crystal array $\\Lambda$, with nodes representing measurement\n`tickmarks\u0027 and connected by independent quantized harmonic oscillators which\nvibrate more severely the faster $\\Sigma$ moves with respect to the object\nbeing measured (due to the Uncertainty Principle). The Lorentz transformation\nof Special Relativity is derived. Further, mass is understood as a localized\nregion $\\Delta \\Lambda$ having higher vibration temperature than that of the\nambient lattice. The effect of relativistic mass increase may then be\ncalculated without appealing to energy-momentum conservation. The origin of\ngravitation is shown to be simply a transport of energy from the boundary of\n$\\Delta \\Lambda$ outwards by lattice phonon conduction, as the system tends\ntowards equilibrium. Application to a single point mass leads readily to the\nSchwarzschild metric, while a new solution is available for two point masses -\na situation where General Relativity is too complicated to work with. The\nimportant consequence is that inertial observers who move at relative speeds\ntoo close to $c$ are no longer linked by the Lorentz transformation, because\nthe lattice of the `moving\u0027 observer has already disintegrated into a liquid\nstate.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0004071",
"authors": [
"Richard Lieu"
],
"categories": [
"physics.gen-ph"
],
"title": "Harmonically dancing space-time nodes: quantitatively deriving relativity, mass, and gravitation",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0004071"
},
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