dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaTime as an Observable
| Authors | J. Oppenheim, B. Reznik, W. G. Unruh |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/9807058 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9807058 |
| DOI | 10.1007/BFb0105347 |
Abstract
The role of time in quantum mechanics is discussed. The differences between ordinary observables and an observable which corresponds to the time of an event is examined. In particular, the time-of-arrival of a particle to a fixed location is not an ordinary quantum mechanical observable. While we can measure if the particle arrives, we argue that the time at which it arrives always has an inherent ambiguity. The minimum inaccuracy of time-of-arrival measurements is given by dt>1/E where E is the kinetic energy of the particle. The use of time-of-arrival operators, as well as current operators, is examined critically.
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"abstract": "The role of time in quantum mechanics is discussed. The differences between\nordinary observables and an observable which corresponds to the time of an\nevent is examined. In particular, the time-of-arrival of a particle to a fixed\nlocation is not an ordinary quantum mechanical observable. While we can measure\nif the particle arrives, we argue that the time at which it arrives always has\nan inherent ambiguity. The minimum inaccuracy of time-of-arrival measurements\nis given by dt\u003e1/E where E is the kinetic energy of the particle. The use of\ntime-of-arrival operators, as well as current operators, is examined\ncritically.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/9807058",
"authors": [
"J. Oppenheim",
"B. Reznik",
"W. G. Unruh"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph",
"gr-qc"
],
"doi": "10.1007/BFb0105347",
"title": "Time as an Observable",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9807058"
},
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