Operational Time from Entropy Production in Cosmology
Abstract
The core idea is an operational framing in which proper time is defined via accumulated decoherence (or purity loss) in open quantum systems, treated consistently within a Lindblad framework. In this view, classical time and gravitational coupling emerge as effective descriptions activated by irreversible decoherence, rather than being taken as primitive. The approach is intended to be conservative: fully compatible with standard quantum theory, open-system dynamics, and existing work on quantum clocks and reference frames, while offering a different interpretive emphasis.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 10 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint