2T-Physics 2001

TL;DR

2T-physics extends traditional 1T-physics by introducing two time dimensions, revealing hidden symmetries and relationships among dynamical systems, and providing a unified higher-dimensional framework that enhances understanding of spacetime and fundamental physics.

Contribution

This paper introduces the formulation of 2T-physics, highlighting its symmetry, gauge structure, and how it unifies diverse 1T-physics systems through hidden higher-dimensional relationships.

Findings

2T-physics involves two time dimensions with a gauge symmetry that preserves causality.

It reveals hidden symmetries unifying different 1T systems.

The approach offers new insights into the structure of spacetime and fundamental interactions.

Abstract

The physics that is traditionally formulated in one--time-physics (1T-physics) can also be formulated in two-time-physics (2T-physics). The physical phenomena in 1T or 2T physics are not different, but the spacetime formalism used to describe them is. The 2T description involves two extra dimensions (one time and one space), is more symmetric, and makes manifest many hidden features of 1T-physics. One such hidden feature is that families of apparently different 1T-dynamical systems in d dimensions holographically describe the same 2T system in d+2 dimensions. In 2T-physics there are two timelike dimensions, but there is also a crucial gauge symmetry that thins out spacetime, thus making 2T-physics effectively equivalent to 1T-physics. The gauge symmetry is also responsible for ensuring causality and unitarity in a spacetime with two timelike dimensions. What is gained through 2T-physics is a unification of diverse 1T dynamics by making manifest hidden symmetries and relationships among them. Such symmetries and relationships is the evidence for the presence of the underlying higher dimensional spacetime structure. 2T-physics could be viewed as a device for gaining a better understanding of 1T-physics, but beyond this, 2T-physics offers new vistas in the search of the unified theory while raising deep questions about the meaning of spacetime. In these lectures, the recent developments in the powerful gauge field theory formulation of 2T-physics will be described after a brief review of the results obtained so far in the more intuitive worldline approach.