Abstract
How the principle of inertia survives quantum fluctuations is an interesting question. Smolin has proposed a hypothesis that quantum fluctuations are in fact real statistical fluctuations. In this work, combining the works on Hawking-Unruh radiation and Jacobson's idea in his thermodynamics derivation of Einstein equation, we confirmed Smolin's guess: the quantum fluctuations leading to Hawking-Unruh radiation, satisfying the fluctuation theorem, are statistical fluctuations. Therefore, inertia is found to be a result of the second law of thermodynamics: the principle of entropy increases has the tendency to eliminate the effects of fluctuations and makes accelerated observers express inertia force.
Highlights
There should be no doubt that the principle of inertia can be among the most important laws of physics
Using Jacobson’s idea in his thermodynamic derivation of the Einstein equation [12], we found the transitions satisfy the fluctuation theorem
In order to occupy the excited state to complete the acceleration, there must be an external intervention to contribute additional entropy increase to satisfy the second law of thermodynamics
Summary
There should be no doubt that the principle of inertia can be among the most important laws of physics. Look backing at the history of physics, we can find that the deepening understanding of inertia has play important roles in both the development of classic mechanics and the discovery of general relativity. The close relationships between the second law of thermodynamics and some basic assumptions in both relativity and quantum mechanics were discovered [4,5,6,7]. The thermodynamic role of external force is to contribute equal entropy increase to satisfy the second law of thermodynamics. If the external force is absent, the particle will tend to return to the ground state under the effect of the entropy increase principle
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