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Related papers: A general perspective on time observables

200 papers

Physical systems are usually assumed to evolve relative to an external time parameter, which is problematic because in quantum theory that parameter is not a physical observable. Page & Wootters (1984) solved this by proposing that the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-04-08 Sam Kuypers , Simone Rijavec

We consider the evolution of quantum fields on a classical background space-time, formulated in the language of differential geometry. Time evolution along the worldlines of observers is described by parallel transport operators in an…

High Energy Physics - Theory · Physics 2007-05-23 Dirk Graudenz

It is a remarkable fact that all processes occurring in the observable Universe are irreversible, whereas the equations through which the fundamental laws of physics are formulated are invariant under time reversal. The emergence of…

General Physics · Physics 2015-05-28 Gustavo E. Romero , Daniela Pérez

A practical way to deal with the problem of time in quantum cosmology and quantum gravity is proposed. The main tool is effective equations, which mainly restrict explicit considerations to semiclassical regimes but have the crucial…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2011-07-20 Martin Bojowald , Philipp A Hoehn , Artur Tsobanjan

Change and local spatial variation are missing in canonical General Relativity's observables as usually defined, part of the problem of time. Definitions can be tested using equivalent formulations, non-gauge and gauge, because they must…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2017-03-06 J. Brian Pitts

The world lines of null particles admit arbitrary parametrizations. In the presence of a family of observers one may introduce along a null world line an extension of the so-called Cattaneo's relative standard time parameter (valid for…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2014-08-26 Donato Bini , Fernando de Felice , Andrea Geralico

The traditional formalism of non-relativistic quantum theory allows the state of a quantum system to extend across space, but only restricts it to a single instant in time, leading to distinction between theoretical treatments of spatial…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2018-11-21 Zhikuan Zhao , Robert Pisarczyk , Jayne Thompson , Mile Gu , Vlatko Vedral , Joseph F. Fitzsimons

Recent advances in observational cosmology are changing the way we view the nature of time. In general relativity, the freedom in choosing a time hypersurface has hampered the implementation of the theory. Fortunately, Hamilton-Jacobi…

Astrophysics · Physics 2007-05-23 D. S. Salopek

General relativity promotes space-time to a physical, dynamical object subject to equations of motion. Quantum gravity, accordingly, must provide a quantum framework for space-time, applicable on the smallest distance scales. Just like…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2010-02-15 Martin Bojowald

The perspective is advanced that the time parameter in quantum mechanics corresponds to the time coordinate in a Minkowski flat spacetime local approximation to the actual dynamical curved spacetime of General Relativity, rather than to an…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2019-05-27 Mariano Bauer , Cesar Augusto Aguillon , Gustavo Garcia

We introduce contextual values as a generalization of the eigenvalues of an observable that takes into account both the system observable and a general measurement procedure. This technique leads to a natural definition of a general…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2010-06-16 J. Dressel , S. Agarwal , A. N. Jordan

A model is proposed to demonstrate that classical general relativity can emerge from loop quantum gravity, in a relational description of gravitational field in terms of coordinates given by matter. Local Dirac observables and coherent…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2011-03-29 Chun-Yen Lin

This note presents a canonical construction of global observables -- sometimes referred to in the literature as macroscopic observables or observables at infinity -- in statistical mechanics, providing a unified treatment of both…

Mathematical Physics · Physics 2025-10-31 C. J. F. van de Ven

Some of the most outstanding questions in the field of gravitation and geometry remain unsolved as a result of our limited understanding of the global structure of the spacetime geometry and the role played by global spacetime…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2008-09-23 M. Iftime

Theorists are often told to express things in the "observational plane". One can do this for space-time geometry, considering "visual" observations of matter in our universe by a single observer over time, with no assumptions about…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2012-11-20 Albert Stebbins

The gauge theoretical formulation of general relativity is presented. We are only concerned with local intrinsic geometry, i.e. our space-time is an open subset of a four-dimensional real vector space. Then the gauge group is the set of…

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology · Physics 2018-12-07 Thomas Schucker

The generalized uncertainty connection between the fluctuations of a quantum observable and its temporal derivative is derived in this study, we demonstrate that the product of an observable's uncertainties and its time derivative is…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2025-08-26 Tarek Yehia

Time in relativity theory has a status different from that adopted by standard quantum mechanics, where time is considered as a parameter measured with reference to an external absolute Newtonian frame. This status strongly restricts its…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2023-10-26 M. Basil Altaie

The geometric form of standard quantum mechanics is compatible with the two postulates: 1) The laws of physics are invariant under the choice of experimental setup and 2) Every quantum observation or event is intrinsically statistical.…

High Energy Physics - Theory · Physics 2008-11-26 Djordje Minic , Chia-Hsiung Tze

The description of relativistic effects requires a preliminary definition of events localised in space-time while the clocks used for time definition and the fields used in synchronisation or localisation procedures are necessarily quantum…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2013-02-27 Marc-Thierry Jaekel , Serge Reynaud