The Compton-Schwarzschild correspondence from extended de Broglie relations

Abstract

Abstract: The Compton wavelength gives the minimum radius within which the mass of a particle may be localized due to quantum effects, while the Schwarzschild radius gives the maximum radius within which the mass of a black hole may be localized due to classial gravity. In a mass-radius diagram, the two lines intersect near the Planck point (lP, mP), where quantum gravity effects become significant. Since canonical (non-gravitational) quantum mechanics is based on the concept of wave-particle duality, encapsulated in the de Broglie relations, these relations should break down near (lP, mP). It is unclear what physical interpretation can be given to quantum particles with energy E ≫ mPc2, since they correspond to wavelengths λ ≪ lP or time periods τ ≪ tP in the standard theory. We therefore propose a correction to the standard de Broglie relations, which gives rise to a modified Schrödinger equation and a modified expression for the Compton wavelength, which may be extended into the region E ≫ mPc2. For the proposed modification, we recover the expression for the Schwarzschild radius for E ≫ mPc2 and the usual Compton formula for E ≪ mPc2. The sign of the inequality obtained from the uncertainty principle reverses at m ≈ mP, so that the Compton wavelength and event horizon size may be interpreted as minimum and maximum radii, respectively. We interpret the additional terms in the modified de Broglie relations as representing the self-gravitation of the wave packet.