The thermodynamic universe : exploring the limits of physics / B.G. Sidharth.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The limits of physics. 1.1. Our scientific legacy. 1.2. The advanced and retarded fields. 1.3. Quantum mechanical considerations. 1.4. The limits of special relativity. 1.5. Discussion. 1.6. The quantum universe. 1.7. The strong and weak interactions. 1.8. Gauge fields. 1.9. Standard cosmology. 1.10. Bosonic strings. 1.11. End of the road? -- 2. Law without law. 2.1. A "lawless" universe? 2.2. The emergence of spacetime. 2.3. Spacetime. 2.4. Further considerations. 2.5. The path integral formulation. 2.6. Remarks -- 3. The universe of fluctuations. 3.1. The new cosmos. 3.2. The mysterious dark energy. 3.3. Issues and ramifications. 3.4. Tests. 3.5. Other consequences. 3.6. The anomalous acceleration of the pioneer spacecrafts. 3.7. The binary pulsar. 3.8. Change in orbital parameters. 3.9. Remarks. 3.10. Further considerations -- 4. The thermodynamic universe. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. The planck and compton scales. 4.3. The transition. 4.4. Photon mass. 4.5. Further theoretical support. 4.6. Remarks. 4.7. The mass spectrum. 4.8. Further remarks -- 5. Spacetime models and tests. 5.1. The nature of spacetime. 5.2. Other formulations. 5.3. Multiply connected space and spin. 5.4. Lorentz symmetry violation tests. 5.5. The Finsler spacetime approach. 5.6. Remarks. 5.7. A test for non commutative spacetime -- 6. The origin of mass, spin and interaction. 6.1. The unification mantra. 6.2. Compton scale considerations. 6.3. Remarks. 6.4. Fuzzy spacetime and fermions. 6.5. Branes. 6.6. Dirac's membrane and p-branes. 6.7. A modified Klein-Gordan equation. 6.8. A modified Dirac equation -- 7. The enigma of gravitation. 7.1. Gravitation in a new light. 7.2. Remarks. 7.3. Gravitation and black hole thermodynamics again. 7.4. Further remarks. 7.5. Gravitation from fluctuations -- 8. An adventurer's miscellany. 8.1. "Scaled" quantum mechanics. 8.2. Quantum geometry I. 8.3. Quantum geometry II. 8.4. Large scale structures. 8.5. The puzzle of gravitation. 8.6. A new short range force. 8.7. Gravitational effects. 8.8. Bosons as bound states of Fermions: the neutrino universe. 8.9. Quantum mechanics, general relativity and the landscape of multiply connected universes. 8.10. The monopole. 8.11. Fermions and Bosons.

Particle Physics and High Energy Physics have stagnated since the early 1970s. Now, the underlying principle of reductionism - so sacred to twentieth-century physics - is itself being questioned. This book examines these tumultuous developments that are leading to a paradigm shift and a new horizon for Physics. Presenting the new paradigm in fuzzy spacetime, this book is based on some 100 papers published in peer-reviewed journals including Foundations of Physics, Nuovo Cimento and The International Journal of Modern Physics (A & E), as well as two recently published books, The Chaotic Universe (Nova Science, New York) and The Universe of Fluctuations (Springer). The work had predicted correctly in advance epoch-turning observations, for example, that the Universe is accelerating with a small cosmological constant driven by dark energy when the prevalent line of thinking was the exact opposite. Similarly, the prediction of a minimum thermodynamic residual energy in the Universe has also been realized more recently. Further to a unified description of gravitation and electromagnetism via fluctuations, several other features are presented in complete agreement with experiments, in sharp contrast to the present ideas which are neither verifiable nor disprovable.

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