Abstract:
We show that introducing torsion in general relativity, that is, physically, considering the effect of the spin and linking the torsion to defects in spacetime topology, we can have a minimal unit of time. Also an uncertainty relation between time and temperature is suggested. The interesting thing is that with this minimal time we can eliminate the divergence of the self-energy integral without introducing any ad hoc cut-off, and it is also possible to understand black-hole evaporation as a process of quantum diffusion which leads directly to the Hawking formula. A minimal operationally definable temperature in a cosmological context is discussed.
