The T-Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Ontic Time, Quantized Clocks, and Measurement as Projective Access

Abstract We propose the T-interpretation, a minimal interpretational framework addressing the conceptual tension between quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) concerning the role of time. The interpretation postulates an exact, jitter-free ontic time ordering T that is not directly observable. All operational access to time occurs exclusively via physical clocks, which are quantum systems. Measurement events necessarily couple discretely to these clocks and therefore cannot be temporally sharp, even in principle. Crucially, no ontic time uncertainty or stochastic time evolution is assumed; irreducible uncertainty arises solely from quantized clock–measurement coupling. The framework preserves standard quantum dynamics, respects no-signalling, reproduces Bell correlations, and provides a natural interface to gravitation, where gravity modifies the projection T → τ (proper time) rather than time itself. Numerical Simulation & Validation (New in this Version) This upload includes a Python simulation framework (t_bell_framework.py) that numerically tests the interpretation against the Tsirelson bound and local hidden variable (LHV) limits. The simulation demonstrates that: The T-interpretation reproduces the quantum limit ($S \approx 2.82$) for precise clocks. A phase transition from quantum to classical behavior ($S \leq 2$) emerges naturally when the temporal phase noise ("jitter") in the clock coupling exceeds $\sigma \approx 0.94$ rad. Ontic time serves as the coherence resource for non-locality without requiring superluminal signaling. v4 simplifies the clock model: measurement events are modeled strictly as entanglement-breaking re-preparation events, eliminating explicit measurement-time parameters. Included Files: T-Interpretation_of_Quantum_Mechanics_v4: The full theoretical paper. t_bell_framework.py: The simulation source code (Python). t_bell_sweep.py: Sweep phase-noise sigma (Gaussian) and record CHSH S as produced by the framework (Python). t_interpretation_phase_transition_v4.png: Plot of the quantum-to-classical transition via time noise.