Physics Dept Seminar

March 10, Wednesday (**SPECIAL DAY**)

A Non-relativistic Theory of Quantum Mechanics and Gravity with Local Modulus Symmetry

Prof. Tao Zhou

Dept. of Physics, NJIT

(Quantum Mechanics & General Relativity, Host: Sirenko)

*Special Time: 2pm-3pm with 1:50pm virtual tea time

*Webex Meeting ID: 120 620 5353

*Password: check email or request from kenahn@njit.edu

A non-relativistic theory of quantum mechanics and gravity is constructed based upon two assumptions: quantum system is invariant to local modulus transformation of its wave function, and physical laws reduce to those of conventional quantum mechanics in small enough region. Imposing local modulus symmetry brings a number of changes, including the replacement of wave function’s complex conjugate by a new scalar function with the same phase but different modulus, and particle momentum operator built on covariant derivative, with a purely imaginary velocity field that is identified as the gravitational escape velocity. Three quantum metric functions are introduced to signify the kinematic change of quantum state brought by gravity, and their relation to the escape velocity field are found. Equation of motion and field equation that are covariant to local modulus transformation are constructed. New features in these equations offer potential mechanisms for dark energy and the quantum measurement problem. They also have implications for the mechanism of inflation in the early universe, dark matter, as well as the arrow of time problem.