12/29/2024
We often refer to the early universe and black holes when discussing the necessity of string theory or M-Theory. What these two share is an enormous concentration of mass within a small volume—implying that both quantum field theoretic effects and general relativistic effects must be considered simultaneously. However, the key difference lies in whether we are dealing with minimum entropy (e.g., the early universe) or maximum entropy (e.g., black holes).
In fact, the most significant physical distinction between the early universe and black holes is the presence (or absence) of an inflaton field. Yet the resulting contrast in entropy remains puzzling. Because the early universe is temporally primordial, it is classified as a state of minimal entropy under the second law of thermodynamics (the law of entropy). Black holes, by contrast, are classified as states of maximal entropy according to Bekenstein–Hawking entropy, which is proportional to the surface area of the event horizon. This entropy corresponds to the statistical mechanical entropy—measured in bits of information (0 or 1)—that can be stored per Planck area on the event horizon.
It is, indeed, remarkable: the formation conditions of the early universe and of black holes are nearly identical, yet their entropies lie at opposite extremes. I suspect that the explanation lies in the inflaton field of inflationary cosmology, although the inflaton has so far existed only as a theoretical construct—never once detected through experiment or observation. This stark contrast raises the question of what mathematical conclusions M-Theory might ultimately provide, and whether the inflationary universe was creation itself or merely a small seed within a greater cosmos. The answer, when it comes, will be of profound significance.
댓글 남기기