Verlinde's Emergent Gravity and Whitehead's Actual Entities
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The Founding of an Event-Ontology: Verlinde's Emergent Gravity and Whitehead's Actual Entities by Jesse Sterling Bettinger A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Claremont Graduate University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Faculty of Religion and Economics Claremont, California 2015 Approved by: ____________________________ ____________________________ © Copyright by Jesse S. Bettinger 2015 All Rights Reserved Abstract of the Dissertation The Founding of an Event-Ontology: Verlinde's Emergent Gravity and Whitehead's Actual Entities by Jesse Sterling Bettinger Claremont Graduate University: 2015 Whitehead’s 1929 categoreal framework of actual entities (AE’s) are hypothesized to provide an accurate foundation for a revised theory of gravity to arise compatible with Verlinde’s 2010 emergent gravity (EG) model, not as a fundamental force, but as the result of an entropic force. By the end of this study we should be in position to claim that the EG effect can in fact be seen as an integral sub-sequence of the AE process. To substantiate this claim, this study elaborates the conceptual architecture driving Verlinde’s emergent gravity hypothesis in concert with the corresponding structural dynamics of Whitehead’s philosophical/scientific logic comprising actual entities. This proceeds to the extent that both are shown to mutually integrate under the event-based covering logic of a generative process underwriting experience and physical ontology. In comparing the components of both frameworks across the epistemic modalities of pure philosophy, string theory, and cosmology/relativity physics, this study utilizes a geomodal convention as a pre-linguistic, neutral observation language—like an augur between the two theories—wherein a visual event-logic is progressively enunciated in concert with the specific details of both models, leading to a cross-pollinized language of concepts shown to mutually inform each other. The geomodal framework will be implemented in this study as an exegetical modeling convention. From this study we will attempt to construct a set of narratives for string theory and AE’s on the basis of an event logic and process ontology. Combining these two fields brings to light novel connections between the sciences and humanities as well as offering a method for realizing a new, narrative logic in string theory and philosophy of mind. "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.) A. Saint-Exupery Acknowledgements Heartfelt, special thanks where it is due. Gratitude to my advisors, Phil Clayton, Vatche Sahakian, and Paul Zak for their willingness to take on the project; to Tim Eastman for providing useful feedback and intellectual motivation; to Edris Stuebner for positive encouragement and moral support over the years; to the Athenas, to the Stars, and to the Lions: you were the inspiration every step of the way; to the Negritto family for their generosity and for setting the tone for the year; to the Frazier family for their gracious friendship, talks, and example; to Scott Bracken and Jeremy Ognall for the phenomenal rugby experience and for taking us to the beach. Experiencing that was life-changing and provided the determination and wherewithal to see this project through to the end. You have no idea how much my time with you all has meant, but it has meant the world. iv Table of Contents PART I – Introductory Materials 1. Introduction – Prospectus + Methodology 2. Physico-Conceptual Foundations of Emergent Gravity PART II – Outline of Models 3. Verlinde’s Emergent Gravity 4. Whitehead’s Actual Occasions PART III – Comparative + Geomodal 5. Origination 6. Creativity + Synthesis PART IV – Review 7. Discussion –Einstein and Whiteheadian Gravity 8. Conclusion – Review and Denouement 1. Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1. --- Methodology ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 1.2. --- Conceptual and Phenomenal Placement ---------------------------------------- 5 1.3. --- Scale ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.4. --- Ontology ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 1.5. --- Organization of Chapters ---------------------------------------------------------- 9 2. Physico-Conceptual Foundations of Emergent Gravity ------------------------------------- 13 2.1. --- Emergence of XT ------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 2.2. --- General Relativity ------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 2.2.1. Curvature 2.2.2. Expansion + Cosmological Constant 2.3. --- Quantum Theory ------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.3.1. Quantum Mechanics 2.3.2. Quantum Field Theory 2.3.3. Standard Model 2.3.4. Gauge Theory 2.3.5. Quantum Chromodynamics 2.3.6. Yang-Mills Theory 2.4. --- Dark Energy/Dark Matter ---------------------------------------------------------- 21 2.4.1. Accelerated Expansion 2.5. --- Vacuum Energy of QM ------------------------------------------------------------- 22 2.5.1. Virtual Particles 2.5.2. Vacuum as Plenum 2.6. --- Quantum Gravity -------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 2.7. --- Quantization v. Non-Quantization ----------------------------------------------- 24 2.8. --- UV/IR Mixing ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 25 2.8.1. Planck Scale 2.9. --- Black Holes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 2.9.1. Four Laws 2.9.2. Statistical Mechanics v 2.10. --- Geometrical Entropy --------------------------------------------------------- 29 2.11. --- Hawking Radiation ----------------------------------------------------------- 31 2.12. --- Black Hole Information Paradox; Entropy as Information -------------- 32 2.12.1. It from Bit geometric entropy of Planck horizon 2.13. --- Holographic Principle -------------------------------------------------------- 33 2.14. --- String Theory ------------------------------------------------------------------ 35 2.14.1. Basic History 2.14.2. Open Strings 2.14.3. =4 Super Yang-Mills Theory 2.14.4. Closed Strings 2.14.4.1. --- Closed strings as phonons 2.14.4.2. --- Closed strings as coupling constants 2.14.4.3. --- Quantum coupling constants as dynamical 2.14.5. D-Branes 2.14.5.1. --- Solitons 2.14.6. Open/Closed String Correspondence 2.14.7. Gauge/Gravity Duality AdS/CFT Correspondence 2.15. Emergence of Gravity ------------------------------------------------------------ 48 2.16. Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 3. Verlinde’s Emergent Gravity --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 3.1. --- Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 3.2. --- Non-Quantizational Approaches to QG ------------------------------------------- 51 3.3. --- Sakharov’s Induced Gravity ---------------------------------------------------------- 52 3.4. --- Jacobson’s Gravitational Thermodynamics ---------------------------------------- 54 3.5. --- Distinguishing Verlinde from Predecessors --------------------------------------- 57 3.6. --- Verlinde’s Entropic Gravity ---------------------------------------------------------- 59 3.6.1. Universality of Gravity 3.6.2. Emergence of Space-time and Gravity 3.6.3. Information 3.6.4. Holographic Principle 3.6.5. Entropic Force 3.6.6. Polymers and Black Hole Thermodynamics 3.6.7. Information and Storage on Holographic Screens 3.6.8. Derivation of Newton’s Laws 3.6.9. Emergence of Space 3.6.10. Coarse Graining 3.7. --- String Theoretic Approach ---------------------------------------------------------- 67 3.7.1. Open-Closed String Correspondence and AdS/CFT 3.7.2. Matrix Theory 3.7.3. Adiabatic Reaction Force 3.7.4. Hidden Phase Space 3.7.5. Inertia and Gravity as Adiabatic Reaction Forces 3.8. --- The End of Gravity as a Fundamental Force -------------------------------------- 70 3.9. --- Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71 vi 4. The Actual Entities -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72 4.1. --- Philosophy of Organism -------------------------------------------------------------- 72 4.2. --- Experiential Metaphysics and Speculative Philosophy --------------------------- 74 4.3. --- From Substance to Event Ontology ------------------------------------------------- 75 4.4. --- Uniquely Suited to Mathematical Physics ------------------------------------------ 79 4.5. --- Actual Entities -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80 4.5.1. Prehension 4.5.2. Simple Physical Feelings 4.5.3. Subjective Forms 4.5.4. Initial/Subjective Aim and Decision 4.5.5. Concrescence 4.5.6. Satisfaction 4.5.7. Unity and Determinateness 5. Origination, Emergence, Reenactment ------------------------------------------------------------ 98 5.1. --- Geomodal Construct ----------------------------------------------------------------- 100 5.1.1. Geometry and Physics: Two Metrics, Not One 5.1.2. Minkowski’s Lightcone 5.1.3. Hypersurface of the Present and Manifold 5.1.4. Ontological Immediacy v. Sensory-Conscious Present 5.2. ---