The global non-entropic arrow of time: from global geometrical asymmetry to local energy flow

MARIO CASTAGNINO; OLIMPIA LOMBARDI

SYNTHESE (DORDRECHT)

SPRINGER

Lugar: BERLIN; Año: 2009 vol. 169 p. 1 - 25

0039-7857

Since the nineteenth century, the problem of the arrow of time has been traditionally analyzed in terms of entropy by relating the direction past-to-future to the gradient of the entropy function of the universe. In this paper we reject this traditional perspective and argue for a global and nonentropic approach to the problem, according to which the arrow of time can be defined in terms of the geometrical properties of spacetime. In particular, we show how the global non-entropic arrow can be transferred to the local level, where it takes the form of a non-spacelike local energy flow that provides the criterion for breaking the symmetry resulting from time-reversal invariant local laws.