Abstract
Two problems connected with Dirac quantization of relativistic cosmological models are considered. The difficulties with this approach have been the lack of physical interpretation of the spinor wave functions and the difficulty in extracting the “spinor square root” with a variable “mass” term in the classical Hamiltonian. It is suggested here that the spinor wave functions may be connected with the temporal irreversibility of physical processes in the universe. The analytical difficulty of extracting the spinor square root suggests a modification of the classical theory, in analogy with the theory of the Dirac electron in an electromagnetic field.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. Ryan,Hamiltonian Cosmology (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1972).
B. DeWitt,Phys. Rev. 160, 1113 (1967).
W. Pauli,Z. Phys. 31, 765 (1925).
K. Gödel,Rev. Mod. Phys. 21, 447 (1949).
J. H. Christenson, J. W. Cronin, V. L. Fitch, and R. Turlay,Phys. Rev. Lett. 13, 138 (1964).
C. Teitelboim,Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1106 (1977).
I. Prigogine,From Being to Becoming (W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1980), Chapter 8 and Appendices A and C.
L. Schiff,Quantum Mechanics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968), 3rd edn., Chapter 13.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murphy, G.L. On the “nonclassical many-valuedness” of the universe. Found Phys 14, 351–357 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00738924
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00738924