Thermal time and Tolman-Ehrenfest effect: `Temperature as the speed of time'

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/28/7/075007zbMATH Open1213.83123arXiv1005.2985OpenAlexW2009557756MaRDI QIDQ2999455FDOQ2999455

Authors: Matteo Smerlak, Carlo Rovelli 

Publication date: 13 May 2011

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The notion of thermal time has been introduced as a possible basis for a fully general-relativistic thermodynamics. Here we study this notion in the restricted context of stationary spacetimes. We show that the Tolman-Ehrenfest effect (in a stationary gravitational field, temperature is not constant in space at thermal equilibrium) can be derived very simply by applying the equivalence principle to a key property of thermal time: at equilibrium, temperature is the rate of thermal time with respect to proper time - the `speed of (thermal) time'. Unlike other published derivations of the Tolman-Ehrenfest relation, this one is free from any further dynamical assumption, thereby illustrating the physical import of the notion of thermal time.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1005.2985

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Classical and relativistic thermodynamics (80A10) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05)

Cited In (23)

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• Anomalous Luttinger equivalence between temperature and curved spacetime: from black holes to thermal quenches
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