Introduction to the Quantum Theory of Elementary Cycles

Abstract

Elementary Cycles Theory (ECT) is a novel exact formulation of quantum-relativistic mechanics. Here, we present an introduction to its basic quantum aspects. On the one hand, Newton’s law of inertia states that every isolated particle has persistent motion, i.e. constant energy and momentum. On the other hand, undulatory mechanics associates, by means of the Planck constant, a recurrence in time and space to the energy and the momentum of an elementary particle, respectively. Paraphrasing these two fundamental principles of modern physics, ECT postulates that every elementary constituent of nature (every elementary particle) is characterized by persistent intrinsic periodicity (as long it does not interact) whose space-time duration determines its kinematical state (energy and momentum). In other words, undulatory mechanics is imposed as constraint “overdetermining” relativistic mechanics, with fundamental motivations on Einstein’s proposal of unification of quantum and relativistic theories. Every free particle is a (de Broglie) “periodic phenomenon” which can also be regarded as a reference clock and every system is decomposable in modulated elementary cycles. Indeed, ECT introduces a cyclic nature to the ordinary relativistic space-time coordinates. The resulting classical-relativistic mechanics turns out to be fully consistent with relativity and, at the same time, reproduces exactly all the fundamental aspects of ordinary quantum-relativistic mechanics (without any explicit quantisation). Relativity only fixes the differential structure of space-time without giving any prescription about the boundary of space-time, and the constraint of covariant periodicity (or similar relativistic boundary conditions) is allowed by the variational principle for relativistic theories. The constraint of intrinsic periodicity enforces the local nature of relativistic space-time and the wave-particle duality. Besides such unified description of relativistic and quantum dynamics, ECT allows for a geometrodynamical formulation of gauge interaction which, similarly to gravity, is represented by modulations of space-time periodicities and brings novel elements to address fundamental open problems of modern physics.