Existence in Physics

Abstract

This is the second in a two-part series of papers which re-interprets relativistic length contraction and time dilation in terms of concepts argued to be more fundamental, broadly construed to mean: concepts which point to the next paradigm. After refining the concept of existence to duration of existence in spacetime, this paper introduces a criterion for physical existence in spacetime and then re-interprets time dilation in terms of the concept of the abatement of an object's duration of existence in a given time interval, denoted as ontochronic abatement. Ontochronic abatement (1) focuses attention on two fundamental spacetime principles the significance of which is unappreciated under the current paradigm, (2) clarifies the state of existence of speed-of-light objects, and (3) leads to the recognition that physical existence is an equivalence relation by absolute dimensionality. These results may be used to justify the incorporation of the physics-based study of existence into physics as physical ontology.