Time reversal Definition and 57 Threads

In Sakurai, section 4.4, says that if ##\psi(x,t)## is a solution of Schrodinger equation then ##\psi^*(x,-t)## is always another solution. However, in the corrected version of "Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics, Bruus and Flensberg, 2016", section 7.1.4, restricts this...

I'm trying to make sure I understand how the traveling twin tracks the time of his stationary earthbound sibling and the time of another stationary observer who's farther away. From what I've understood until now, it's pretty straightforward with the earthbound twin: In the traveler's frame, the...

In Sean Carroll's lectures Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time, he talks about the the CPLEAR experiment, which showed that the weak interactions are different going forward and going backwards in time. But it seems like there is a big assumption: reversing a particle interaction means that it is...

If the universe were to re-collapse, the Hubble constant would increase over time. Since the age of the universe is the inverse of the Hubble constant, the age of the universe will decrease. Does that mean time reversal?

I am looking for an example of a classical system without time reversal symmetry. I would appreciate any help.

I try to justify time-reversal symmetry in a very simple classical problem; Free Fall. The position, ##x##, and the velocity, ##v## are obtained versus time from the equation ##-g=\ddot x##. So, if we consider the primary conditions as ##t_0,x_0,v_0## it is clear that...

Why for some systems (such as the electron or neutron) the presence of an electric dipole moment (EDM) implies time reversal violation, while for others, such as water molecule, this is not the case? Thank you!

Hi. Processes involving a friction force whose direction somehow depends on the direction of the velocity, such as ##\vec{F}=-\mu\cdot\vec{v}##, aren't symmetric with respect to time reversal. If you play it backwards, this force would be accelerating. On the other hand, friction dissipates...

Quantum fields have wave functions that determine a particle position in space. It solves non-locality, double-slit paradox, tunnel effect, etc. What if the wave function is also in time? Won't it solve the breaking of causality at quantum level? (Delayed Choice/Quantum Eraser/Time) Not much...

Consider equation (2.7.8) page 42 in the book Gravitation and Cosmology by Weinberg F' αβ = Λαγ Λβδ Fγδ Now consider the time reversal Lorenz transformation Λμν = 0 if μ ≠ ν, 1 if μ = ν = 1..3 and -1 if μ = ν = 0 then F' 00 = 0 F' 0i = -F 0i F' ij = F ij Using equation (2.7.5) of the same book...

It is said that Newton's laws of motion or laws of Quantum Mechanics posses time reversal symmetry but the second law of Thermodynamics does not. What I understand by the first part of the sentence is the following. The dynamical state of a system changes with the increase of time. The state at...

It is known that Maxwell equations have the time reversal symmetry. I.e. by changing t by -t, J by -J (which can be understood as the charges going in the opposite direction when time is reversed, which makes sense), E to E and B to -B, the equations are still satisfied. However, it is also...

Hello! The time reversal operator, ##\hat{\Theta}## transforms a Bloch state as follows: ##\hat{\Theta} \psi_{nk}=\psi^*_{nk}##. How does one proceed to prove the condition that ##\psi_{nk}## and ##\psi^*_{nk}## must satisfy in order for our system to be time reversal invariant? Thanks in advance!

Hi! How do I check if the equation of motion of the particle, with a given potential, is invariant under time reversal? For a 2D pointlike particle with potential that is e.g $$V(x) = ae^(-x^2) + b (x^2 + y^2) +cy', where a,b,c >0$$ Can it be done by arguing rather then computing? Thanks!

So a gluon in string theory may be an open string whose ends live on one or two branes? These strings have an orientation along the string? Does the orientation change direction if we reverse time, some where I thought I read that one can think of a flow along the string so if you reverse...

The article Spontaneous creation of the universe from nothing (Dongshan He, Dongfeng Gao, and Qing-yu Cai) published by the American Physical Society discusses a mathematically proof that the universe could be spontaneously created from nothing using the Wheeler-DeWitt equation (pictured below)...

It is often told that fundamental laws are insensitive to +t/-t change. Let's try this one: a little mass m1 object is accelerating towards a big object M2, in -x direction in space and +t in time, due to gravity or following space-time free fall line (along a geodetic). Now, revert the video...

Is there any deep reason behind this? per example the principle of least action or something else?

Hi all My question: I have read: Topological Insulators: Dirac Equation in Condensed Matters But also I have read: Observation of a Discrete Time Crystal Is it different situations ?

I am trying to learn how parity and time reversal transform the electric field, ##A_\mu## and ##\partial_\mu##. In other words what: what are ##P \partial_\mu P##, ##T \partial_\mu T##, ##T A_\mu T## and ##P A_\mu P##? My first guess was that ##P A_\mu(t,\vec{x}) P = A_\mu(t,-\vec{x})##, ##T...

Layman question(s), but I hope not too stoopid -- many thanks to anyone with the patience to read and attempt even part of an answer, or share a possibly relevant link! I've got time today to follow and read links... 1) Saw a recent 'popular' article discussing that darn Cat as if still a...

Hi. I'm confused about the action of the complex conjugate operator and time reversal operator on kets. I know K(a |α > ) = a* K | α > but what is the action of K on | α > where K is the complex conjugation operator ? What is the action of the time reversal operator Θ on a ket , ie. what is Θ...

Hi, I have been trying to get my head around the effect of a time reversed hamiltonian ##H^B(t)=H(-t)=T^{-1}H^F T ## on a state ket ##|\psi>##, where ##H^F=H## is the regular hamiltonian for the system (energy associated with forward time translation) and ##H^B=H(-t)## is the time reversed...

hi PF, "TIME is reversed inside the even horizon" what does it means?. My sort of opinion is that for an observor outside the event horizon,the time becomes to move slow.but inside the event horizon it does not.Is that my opinion is correct or not about time reversal?? And "the black hole...

My question is on the assumption that there is nothing in laws of nature that says if gravity had time reversal then nothing would appear odd. The example professor Feynman gave was a system with objects rotating due to gravitational attraction that rotated in a clockwise manner with normal...

I am told that in ferromagnets, time reversal symmetry is broken. However, I don't know any hamiltonian terms in solid that can break time reversal symmetry. So is there a hamiltonian term I don't know or is there any subtlety in ferromagnets?

Does time reversal operation changes the time "t" to time" -t"( For example if we are at t=10 s then by applying time reversal operator the time turns into t=-10 s?), or time reversal operation operates instantly in such a way that if it operates on a ket at t=10 s it only reverses the motion at...

Does anyone know why time reversal requires spin to be flipped? It seems like my book assumes that, but I have no idea why.

I have dice whit starting temperature of 0 K in vacuum and its displaying number 1 ,after drop it displays number 6 (for example) . Now if we reverse time, will dice sitting still on surface return to original position (displaying number one ) or it will display different random number ?

If the probability for a state α prepared initially to be in a state β at a later time is given by: S_{\beta \alpha} S_{\beta \alpha}^* and for a state β prepared intitially to become a state α is: S_{ \alpha \beta} S_{ \alpha \beta}^* then in order for the two to be equal (by...

Guys, Let me ask you the silliest question of the year. I am looking at the Maxwell equations in their standard form. No 4-dim potential A, no Faraday tensor F, no mentioning of special relativity - just the standard form from a college-level textbook. I know that the eqns are NOT...

I have just started a course on signals and systems and am finding the subject confusing. This question pertains to the transformations of the independent variable which is time in this case. I don't know why it is transformation of the "independent variable" as the time axis is the same as it...

The time reversal operator T is an antiunitary operator, and I saw T^\dagger in many places (for example when some guy is doing a "time reversal" THT^\dagger), but I wonder if there is a well-defined adjoint for an antilinear operator. Suppose we have an antilinear operator A such that $$...

Consider the time-reversal Lorentz transformation given by the 4x4 matrix: \Lambda_T = \begin{pmatrix} -1 & 0 & 0 & 0\\ 0 &1 & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 &1 \end{pmatrix}. In my relativistic quantum mechanics lecture, we discussed how the electromagnetic 4-potential...

Plain old Newtonian mechanics is time-reversal invariant, i.e. if you view a recording of some events played backwards, it would still appear to be following the same physical laws (gravity attraction law in particular). This type of "time reversal" is exactly equivalent to just turning every...

Hi all, I was just pondering why spin is odd under time reversal. I am trying to get my head around CPT invariance and am failing to find good material online. Thanks

Hi there! I have tried to apply time reversal (which makes t -> -t) to a free particle wavefunction: Exp[i(p.r-Et)/\hbar] and got: Exp[-i(p.r-Et)/\hbar] I got this by flipping the sign of p since it has a d/dt part, and flipping the t in the Et part. However I think this is wrong...

Hi everyone, While reading about the BHZ model used to describe HgTe quantum well topological insulators, I read at many places that the effective Hamiltonian (which is a 4 x 4 matrix) can be written in block diagonal form and the lower 2x2 block can be derived from upper 2x2 block as...

Talking about charges. If someone claims that in his work time reversal symmetry is conserved, does that equal to say he/she is not imposing a magnetic field?

If you have three observers A, B, and C, if A is running backwards in time according to B, and B is running backwards in time according to C, does this mean that A must in run in the same direction in time as C, according to C (and/or vice versa)? Or does special relativity allow A to run...

I was thinking about the time reversal explanation of the double slit experiment, where the anti-wave-particle goes back in time and interferes with the wave-particle that we observed hit the target. Since we don't actually observe this phantom particle that is traveling back in time (and...

Hi guys I had a question. We know that roles of space and time reverses inside a black hole. In the schwarzchild black hole for example r and t are interchanged into time and space respectively. this argument is used to say that because time moves in a single direction r can only decrease...

it is obvious that the hamiltonian of an atom is time reversal invariant but how can an atom have non-zero magnetic moment?

We know velocity/momentum and magnetic field both are odd to time-reversal operation. Then how is the time-reversal symmetry broken in quantum Hall effect since magnetic field is always coupled with velocity/momentum?

Hi there! You have a particle moving to the left as time goes on. Now if you reverse the time the particle will move to the right. Does it mean that the system is not symmetric under time reversal?

In the group of Pnnm(58), according to J. O. Dimmock Phys. Rev.(1962), $\Gamma_{3}^+$ and $\Gamma_{4}^+$ should be time reversal degenerated and that means $\Sigma\chi\{R^2\}$ should be 0. I've attached my result using Herring test. I cannot get 0 for these two representations even though I...

it is know that x goes to x while p goes to -p under time reversal transform so a=x+ip whill transform to a=x-i(-p)=x+ip=a? so a^\dagger to a^\dagger?

I have come across a problem I am trying to understand, and hoping someone here has some insight. Basically, when writing down different solutions for an EM field from given sources, there seems to be a problem from the standpoint of time symmetry. From my understanding, if you reverse time, the...

I have read that charge is supposed to be invariant under time reversal. Now, if I consider two like charges placed some distance from each other, I expect them to repel and go away from each other. In a time-reversed frame, I expect them to approach each other. Since the separation is...

Hi, I'm stuck with a seemingly simple question: Let T denote the antiunitary time evolution operator, and A, B be two time dependent operators. Let A' and B' denote their time reversed versions. That is, TAT^{-1} = A' TBT^{-1} = B' Then show that TABT^{-1} = B'A' I know I can't insert...