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A chronon is a proposed quantum of time, that is, a discrete and indivisible "unit" of time as part of a theory that proposes that time is not continuous. While time is a continuous quantity in standard quantum mechanics, many physicists have suggested that a discrete model of time might work, especially when considering the combination of quantum mechanics with general relativity to produce a theory of quantum gravity.
One such model was introduced by Piero Caldirola in 1980.[1] In Caldirola's model, one chronon corresponds to about 6.97×10−24 seconds for an electron. He claims the chronon has important implications for quantum mechanics, in particular that it allows for a clear answer to the question of whether a free falling charged particle does or does not emit radiation. This model supposedly avoids the difficulties met by Abraham-Lorentz's and Dirac's approaches to the problem, and provides a natural explication of quantum decoherence.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Caldirola, P. (1980). "The introduction of the chronon in the electron theory and a charged lepton mass formula". Lett. Nuovo Cim. 27: 225–228. doi:10.1007/BF02750348.
