Spontaneous Dimensional Reduction
Previously
I have been reading a few papers by Steven Carlip on spontaneous dimensional reduction, also essentially the same here and most
recently here.
Carlip is probably best known for his article in Scientific American on similar themes. There he played with a 2+1 dimension "Flatland" universe; here he is seriously proposing a 1+1 one.
It's not as crazy as it sounds. In fact, I find it quite promising.
Carlip is probably best known for his article in Scientific American on similar themes. There he played with a 2+1 dimension "Flatland" universe; here he is seriously proposing a 1+1 one.
It's not as crazy as it sounds. In fact, I find it quite promising.
In a nutshell
Spontaneous dimensional reduction is his idea that at the very
smallest scales, space is 1-dimensional (so space-time is 1+1
dimensional). He brings together various lines of evidence that
support this, including his own treatment of the Wheeler-deWitt equation at extremely small scales.
Discussing the last point, he suggests that spacetime at small scales "spends most of its time" in or near a Kasner solution, a anisotropic solution to general relativity that applies in 3 dimensions or more. He argues that Kasner solutions favor 1 dimension - strongly so if contracting, less strongly if expanding.
Elsewhere he argues that focussing effects dominate, albeit in a slightly different context. This would imply that the contracting state dominates, which is basically what he needs for this to work. To my knowledge he hasn't explicitly applied this to 1+1 dimensions - that puzzles me, since the two ideas of his seem to fit each other nicely.
Kasner solutions are vacuum solutions - solutions that only apply to empty space. Carlip argues that by looking at extremely small scales, spacetime is effectively flattened.
At larger scales, he says that expansion and contraction change repeatedly and choatically, the general idea being a Mixmaster universe or a BKL singularity. The familiar 3 spatial dimensions are built from 1-dimensional pieces not unlike tinkertoys are.
Discussing the last point, he suggests that spacetime at small scales "spends most of its time" in or near a Kasner solution, a anisotropic solution to general relativity that applies in 3 dimensions or more. He argues that Kasner solutions favor 1 dimension - strongly so if contracting, less strongly if expanding.
Elsewhere he argues that focussing effects dominate, albeit in a slightly different context. This would imply that the contracting state dominates, which is basically what he needs for this to work. To my knowledge he hasn't explicitly applied this to 1+1 dimensions - that puzzles me, since the two ideas of his seem to fit each other nicely.
Kasner solutions are vacuum solutions - solutions that only apply to empty space. Carlip argues that by looking at extremely small scales, spacetime is effectively flattened.
At larger scales, he says that expansion and contraction change repeatedly and choatically, the general idea being a Mixmaster universe or a BKL singularity. The familiar 3 spatial dimensions are built from 1-dimensional pieces not unlike tinkertoys are.
Features
Carlip doesn't appear to cover some of the nice features of 1+1
dimensionality, but I will.
Scalar propagator for gravity
The first one he does mention: In 1+1, the gravitational propagator is
a scalar. All the problems with renormalizing gravity come from it
having a non-scalar propagator (in fact, a rank 2 tensor; the other
fundamental forces have rank 1 tensor propagators (ie, vectors)).
With a scalar propagator, they should all go away.
My guess is that the other fundamental forces might also see a solution without renormalization from this. Nobody really likes renormalization, it's just been a neccessary evil in quantum field theory. Presumably that'd happen at an intermediate scale that has 2+1 dimensions.
My guess is that the other fundamental forces might also see a solution without renormalization from this. Nobody really likes renormalization, it's just been a neccessary evil in quantum field theory. Presumably that'd happen at an intermediate scale that has 2+1 dimensions.
The hierarchy problem
The hierarchy problem asks, why is gravity so much weaker than the
other forces? For instance, you can lift a brick against the pull of
the entire earth. The electromagnetic forces of the molecular bonds
in your hand and arm exceed the gravitational forces levied by the 6.6
sextillion ton earth.
This offers an answer. By way of background, gravity requires 3 dimensions in order to propagate: 1 dimension of travel and 2 transverse dimensions. That's because it's a spin 2 force, which is why its propagator is a rank 2 tensor.
So spontaneous dimensional reduction says that gravity can't propagate at all at small scales, only at large scales. This may be enough to explain the hierarchy problem. (That's me conjecturing this)
"But wait", you say. "If it can't propagate at small scales, how does it get anywhere at larger scales? That's like saying, I can't walk three feet but I can walk a mile. Surely the big journey is made of little journeys?"
Well, what Carlip suggests elsewhere (here he may be summarizing others' work) is that for reduced dimensions, what happens instead is that gravity rearranges the topology of space, presumably affecting the BKL or Mixmaster behavior. This may be enough to let it propagate.
This offers an answer. By way of background, gravity requires 3 dimensions in order to propagate: 1 dimension of travel and 2 transverse dimensions. That's because it's a spin 2 force, which is why its propagator is a rank 2 tensor.
So spontaneous dimensional reduction says that gravity can't propagate at all at small scales, only at large scales. This may be enough to explain the hierarchy problem. (That's me conjecturing this)
"But wait", you say. "If it can't propagate at small scales, how does it get anywhere at larger scales? That's like saying, I can't walk three feet but I can walk a mile. Surely the big journey is made of little journeys?"
Well, what Carlip suggests elsewhere (here he may be summarizing others' work) is that for reduced dimensions, what happens instead is that gravity rearranges the topology of space, presumably affecting the BKL or Mixmaster behavior. This may be enough to let it propagate.
The self-energy problem
In a nutshell, the self-energy problem is that if forces like the
coulomb force go as 1/r2 and therefore diminish over distance, then
at small distances they should increase over distance, becoming
infinite at r=0.
But (me again) in a 1-dimensional space, that doesn't happen. Forces go as 1/r0, which is to say they are insensitive to distance. No self-energy problem.
Further, there's helpful logic in the other direction. Why does spacetime do this at small distances? Why a Kasner-like solution instead of a simpler isotropic solution? Because if it didn't, then there would be infinite forces at small distances. If we don't need renormalization, we can just say as a principle that energies can't be infinite and then we'll find that 1+1 dimensional Kasner-like spacetime is needed at small scales.
But (me again) in a 1-dimensional space, that doesn't happen. Forces go as 1/r0, which is to say they are insensitive to distance. No self-energy problem.
Further, there's helpful logic in the other direction. Why does spacetime do this at small distances? Why a Kasner-like solution instead of a simpler isotropic solution? Because if it didn't, then there would be infinite forces at small distances. If we don't need renormalization, we can just say as a principle that energies can't be infinite and then we'll find that 1+1 dimensional Kasner-like spacetime is needed at small scales.
Potential for insight about dark energy
Everybody's heard this for years so I'll be brief: Dark energy,
whatever it is, is making the universe expand faster.
If Carlip's theory wrt Kasner solutions is true, then at small scales space is constantly expanding and contracting. This suggests (me again) some relation to dark energy. Maybe it's as simple as whether contraction or expansion dominates at that scale, and by how much.
If Carlip's theory wrt Kasner solutions is true, then at small scales space is constantly expanding and contracting. This suggests (me again) some relation to dark energy. Maybe it's as simple as whether contraction or expansion dominates at that scale, and by how much.
