Relativistic time dilation from a quantum mechanism

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum-mechanical foundation for special relativity, deriving Lorentz transformations and relativistic effects without assuming the universality of the speed of light, and suggests implications for dark matter.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum mechanism-based derivation of special relativity, challenging the postulate of constant light speed and explaining relativistic effects through quantum state distortions.

Findings

Lorentz transformations derived from quantum state distortions

Existence of Lorentz covariant momentum and mass operators

Faster-than-light particles are unobservable, potentially explaining dark matter

Abstract

One of the concepts of Relativity theory that challenges conventional intuition the most is time dilation and length contraction. Usual approaches for describing relativistic effects in quantum systems merely postulate the consequences of these effects as physical constraints. Here, we propose to rebuild Special Relativity from quantum mechanical considerations. This is done by dropping one of its fundamental postulates: the universality of the speed of light. Lorentz transformations are obtained by a quantum mechanism. We use the fact that quantum states depend on the Galilean reference frame where they are defined. In other words, quantum states outside an observer's Galilean reference frame are distorted. Then, we show in a theorem the existence of time-dependent observables that are sensible to this distortion in such a way that their expectation value is a Lorentz-covariant function of time. We then postulate this mechanism as the source of the phenomena of Special Relativity. As a corollary of the main theorem, we show the existence of a Lorentz covariant momentum and mass operators which yield the relativistic momentum and mass. In this theory, the fundamental limit of the speed of light imposes a transparency condition for faster-than-light particles: they are allowed but they are not observable. The transparency effect could explain dark matter in a more general theory following this quantum formalism.