In a recent publication in Nature Reviews Physics (a high rank journal with impact factor 38.5), an international team of researchers, led by Prof. Dr. Mir Faizal, the executive manager of JHAP, has delved into unexplored realms of physics. Their groundbreaking effort involves integrating Einstein's general relativity theory with quantum mechanics, opening up new avenues for understanding the fundamental aspects of space and time.
General relativity explains the structure of the universe at a very large scale of galaxies. However, the universe at a small scale is described by quantum mechanics. It has not been possible to construct a complete theory of the universe, encompassing both quantum mechanics and general relativity. Physicists have long argued that any such theory cannot emerge from space and time.
This mental observation of space and time emerging from something that is neither space nor time challenges our conventional understanding of the universe. This is the reason why blending general relativity with quantum mechanics is so difficult.
However, these researchers point out that this emergence can be understood using water as an analogy:
Water is made up of individual molecules, H2O. Water also forms shapes like a whirlpool, when it is drained. However, at the scale of individual molecules no such shape exists, and this geometric shape is an emergent structure. Similarly, the geometrical shape of space and time is emergent. This analogy helps to explain how space and time can emerge from a theory which does not exist within the confines of either.
Any attempt to construct quantum gravity seems to indicate that spacetime would emerge from something that exists neither in space nor in time. So, we are now looking at a physical theory which is beyond space and time.
Researchers now have used moving fluids to understand the emergence of space and time. This allows them to further investigate some deep questions related to the quantum physics of black holes. They hope this will foster collaboration between researchers from different disciplines to further the understanding of these complex phenomena.
The global research team includes Dr. Samuel Braunstein from the University of York in the UK, Dr. Lawrence Krauss, Dr. Francesco Marino from the National Institute of Optics in Italy and Dr. Naveed Shah from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in India. Dr. Naveed Shah is also the author of JHAP and you can read one of his latest articles here.