Abstract
It is an observational fact that the arrow defined by the increase of thermodynamic entropy points in the same direction as the arrow defined by the expansion of the universe. However, the status of this relation is a highly debated issue. Famously, Gold (1958, 1962) argued that, far from being a contingent fact, the relation is a causal one: the thermodynamic entropy increases as a result of the expansion of the universe, whereas in a collapsing universe the entropy necessarily decreases.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Gold, T. (1958). The arrow of time. In 11th Solvay Conference; Structure and Evolution of the Universe. Stoops, Brussels.
Gold, T. (1962). The arrow of time. American Journal of Physics, 30: 403–410.
Halliwell, J. J. (1994). Quantum cosmology and time asymmetry. In (Hal-liwell, J. J., Pérez-Mercader, J. and Zurek, W. H., 1994 ), pp. 369–389.
Halliwell, J. J. and Hawking, S. W. (1985). Origin of structure in the universe. Physical Review D, 31. 1777–1791.
Halliwell, J. J., Pérez-Mercader, J. and Zurek, W. H., editors, (1994). Physical Origins of Time Asymmetry. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Hartle, J. B. and Hawking, S. W. (1983). Wave function of the universe. Physical Review D, 28: 2960–2975.
Hawking, S. W. (1984). The quantum state of the universe. Nuclear Physics B, 239: 257–276.
Hawking, S. W. (1985). Arrow of time in cosmology. Physical Review D, 32: 2489–2495.
Hawking, S. W. (1994). The no boundary condition and the arrow of time. In (Halliwell, J. J., Pérez-Mercader, J. and Zurek, W. H., 1994 ), pp. 346–357.
Hawking, S. W., Laflamme, R. and Lyons, G. W. (1993). Origin of time asymmetry. Physical Review D, 47: 5342–5356.
Isham, C. J. (1993). Canonical quantum gravity and the problem of time. In Ibort L. A. and Rodriguez M. A., editors, Integrable Systems, Quantum Groups, and Quantum Field Theories, pp. 157–287. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Kiefer, C. (1988). Wave packets in minisuperspace. Physical Review D, 38: 1761–1772.
Kuchaf, K. V. (1992). Time and interpretations of quantum gravity. In Kunstatler G., editor, Proceedings of the 4th Canadian Conference on General Relativity and Relativistic Astrophysics. World Scientific, Singapore.
Page, D. N. (1985). Will entropy decrease if the universe recollapses? Physical Review D, 32: 2496–2499.
Unruh, W. (1995). Time, gravity and quantum mechanics. In Savitt, S. F., editor, Time’s Arrows Today, pp. 23–65. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Zeh, H. D. (1994). Time (a-)symmetry in a recollapsing quantum universe. In (Halliwell, J. J., Pérez-Mercader, J. and Zurek, W. H., 1994), pp. 390–404. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ridderbos, K. (2003). The Thermodynamic Arrow of Time in Quantum Cosmology. In: Rojszczak, A., Cachro, J., Kurczewski, G. (eds) Philosophical Dimensions of Logic and Science. Synthese Library, vol 320. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2612-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2612-2_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6432-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2612-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive