The Physical Basis of the Direction of Time - Softcover

H. Dieter Zeh

Softcover

ISBN 10: 038754884X ISBN 13: 9780387548845

Publisher: Springer-Verlag, 1992

Synopsis

The asymmetry of natural phenomena under time reversal is striking. Here Zeh investigates the most important classes of physical phenomena that characterize the arrow of time, discussing their interrelations as well as striving to uncover a cosmological common root of the phenomena, such as the time-independent wave function of the universe. The description of irreversible phenomena is shown to be fundamentally "observer-related". Both physicists and philosophers of science who reviewed the first edition considered this book a magnificent survey, a concise, technically sophisticated, up-to-date discussion of the subject, showing fine sensivity to some of the crucial philosophical subtleties. This new and expanded edition will be welcomed by both students and specialists.

About this title

From the Back Cover

This thoroughly revised 5th edition of Zeh's classic text investigates irreversible phenomena and their foundation in classical, quantum and cosmological settings. It includes new sections on the meaning of probabilities in a cosmological context, irreversible aspects of quantum computers, and various consequences of the expansion of the Universe. Many other sections have been rewritten. In particular, the book contains an analysis of the physical concept of time, a detailed treatment of radiation damping as well as extended sections on quantum entanglement and decoherence, arrows of time hidden in various interpretations of quantum theory, and the emergence of time in quantum gravity. Both physicists and philosophers of science will find in this book a magnificent survey and a concise, technically sophisticated, up-to-date discussion which shows fine sensitivity to crucial conceptual subtleties.

"The discussion is lucid and intuitive without glossing over the important details."

Max Tegmark, MIT

About the Author

H. Dieter Zeh studied physics in Brunswick and Heidelberg, where he began work on theoretical nuclear physics. After a year of research at the California Institute of Technology, he moved to the University of California in San Diego to work on the synthesis of the heavy elements, before returning to the University of Heidelberg, where he later became professor of theoretical physics. His studies of collective motion in nuclei led him to address the quantum-to-classical transition in general, and in particular the quantum measurement problem, which is in turn related to many aspects of irreversibility (arrows of time). During this work, Zeh recognized and formulated the universal and unavoidable role of uncontrollable quantum entanglement, thus becoming a founder of the area now known as decoherence.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 038754884X
• ISBN 13: 9780387548845
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 188