Quantum mechanics, relativity and time (Q1770109): Difference between revisions

The authors revisit a five-dimensional spacetime model already discussed in a number of previous publications [see e.g. the authors, Gen. Relativ. Gravitation 35, No. 12, 2217--2248 (2003; Zbl 1045.83056)]. The construction differs from the ususal Kaluza-Klein approach in two respects: 1. The reduction to four dimensions does not lead to an electromagnetic field. This is accomplished by external constraints on the five-dimensional metric. 2. The additional coordinate is not related to a one parameter isometry group. The dimensional reduction is therefore done in terms of embeddings of physical (four dimensional) spacetime into the extended space (and not in terms of a projection from five to four dimensions). The fifth coordinate is interpreted in terms of masses of particles. The main emphasis of the present paper is the claim that the proposed model avoids several incompatibilities of relativity and quantum mechanics. Unfortunately the work is difficult to understand (to say the least) and the physical arguments are partially based on misconceptions about quantum mechanics. This concerns in particular the dicussion of the EPR paradox and its relation to relativistic causality. Apparently the authors ignore the fact that contradictions arise in this context only if we insist on hidden variable models, but not within quantum mechanics itself (it can even be shown that the maximal violation of Bell inequalities is generic in relativistic quantum field theory; see e.g. \textit{S. J. Summers} and \textit{R. F. Werner}, Commun. Math. Phys. 110, 247--259 (1987; Zbl 0626.46056)).