Does matter differ from vacuum?
Abstract
A structured collection of thought provoking conclusions about space and time is given. Using only the Compton wavelength lambda = hbar / m c and the Schwarzschild radius r_s = 2 G m / c^2, it is argued that neither the continuity of space-time nor the concepts of space-point, instant, or point particle have experimental backing at high energies. It is then deduced that Lorentz, gauge, and discrete symmetries are not precisely fulfilled in nature. In the same way, using a simple and new Gedankenexperiment, it is found that at Planck energies, vacuum is fundamentally indistinguishable from radiation and from matter. Some consequences for supersymmetry, duality, and unification are presented.
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/9610066,
title = {Does matter differ from vacuum?},
author = {Christoph Schiller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/9610066},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
23 pages, LaTeX, one postscript figure in separate file (a raw latex sketch of the figure is available by deleting a \comment{} command in the tex file.)