QUANTUM FOG AND THE DEGRADATION OF INFORMATION BY THE GRAVITATIONAL-FIELD

Authors
Citation
M. Schiffer, QUANTUM FOG AND THE DEGRADATION OF INFORMATION BY THE GRAVITATIONAL-FIELD, General relativity and gravitation, 25(7), 1993, pp. 721-752
Citations number
32
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
ISSN journal
0001-7701
Volume
25
Issue
7
Year of publication
1993
Pages
721 - 752
Database
ISI
SICI code
0001-7701(1993)25:7<721:QFATDO>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
In this paper we discuss how information transferred optically through a gravitational field is degraded as the quanta interact with the mad ium (vacuum state). We quantify information by means of Shannon's entr opy, and consider information carriers that are quanta of some field. Next, we obtain the quantum noise ('quantum fog') produced by the grav itational field and derive the appropriate 'channel capacity' formula, which quantifies the maximum amount of information that can be transm itted per pulse, in the face of this noise. We show that the channel c apacity formula vanishes if the source of information is a space-time singularity because a very intense noise is produced in the vicinity o f the singularity. In other words, space-time singularities are hidden behind a very intense 'quantum fog' and cannot be optically observed. A second consequence is that information is degraded as anisotropies (lumpiness) develop in the universe.