Canonical proper time quantum gravitation

Abstract

At the root of the tensions involved in modeling the quantum dynamics of gravitating systems are the subtleties of quantum locality. Quantum mechanics describes physical phenomena using a theory of non-local phase relationships (non-local in the sense that quantum states maintain a space-like coherence that is acausal). However, the principle of equivalence in general relativity asserts that freely falling frames are locally inertial frames of reference. Thus, gravitating systems are often described using constituents that are freely falling, undergoing geodesic motion defining well localized trajectories. The canonical proper time formulation of relativistic dynamics is particularly useful for describing such inertial constituents using the coordinates of non-inertial observers. The physics of the simplest of gravitating inertial quantum systems, consistent with presented experimental evidence, will be examined. Subsequently, descriptions of both weakly and strongly gravitating quantum systems will be developed using canonical proper gravitation.