In the D-SP mini-essay NOW, the limits of now ("real time") are explained as being in the range of trillionths of a second, the reason being that the fastest-acting biochemical reaction --enzymatic-- cannot do better than that.
In the present mini-essay, the concept of INSTANTANEOUS will be explained, based on the fastest possible action: a chemical reaction.
It has been determined that changing an atomic bond for another requires about 200 quadrillonths of a second. This means that the lower LIMIT of time in terms of the Laws of Physics has been defined.
D-SP must add that such instantaneous reaction refers to a single pair of atoms, where bonds change sequentially. This means that when the initial reaction initiates a chain reaction, the time required for the total reaction depends on the number of interacting atoms. It is therefore understandable that a celestial body explosion may extend for a lenght of minutes, such as is observed in gamma-ray bursts.
As per definitions:
A day is divided in 24x60x60 seconds.
Milisecond (ms.)
The prefix 'femto' is of relatively recent coinage, derived from a Danish word meaning 'fifteen," since the logarithm is 10 to the minus 15. There is no practical physical sense in referring to smaller fractions of seconds.
But, can time be subdivided ad infinitum? (Not just arithmetically, but in reality, i.e., following the laws of physics.) Considering that time is defined as relative to a given standard change, which in physics is the "scientific second," I posit that the smallest fraction of time is that required by the fastest action at the quantum level. The equation factors c as the speed of photons ("light"), and the shortest possible distance (a 'quantum' of lenght, as defined below). Thus, {qt=c/ql}, where qt=quantum of time, and ql=quantum of length.
(As a matter of {informative} fact, the following statement is true:
In terms of volume, the unit is the liter (l.), subdivided in milliliter (ml.), micro, and so forth. In practice, the smallest volume measurable is the ul.
In terms of lenght, the meter is the unit. Below 1/10 of mm. (100 um.), the human eye eye starts to enter the microscopic realm. A red bood cell has a a diameter of about 7 um. A um. is also called micron. The term Angstrom is used only in wave-lenght physics, being 1/10 of a nm. ( 70.000 times shorter than the RBC).
In terms of weight, the unit is the gram (gm.). In practice, picogram --measured by radioactive methodology-- is the lowest limit of measurement. Thanks to modern technology, highly specialized facilities refer to any number of given atoms or molecules, down to just one.
In experimental procedures, the concept of "mol" is preferred to weight units, the practical measurable lower limit being milimols. Mols interact arithmetically because they are defined by their molecular weights.
Femtoscience is a newly developed natural science that studies phenomena that occur in fs., i.e., chemical reactions. This science is based on laser technology that uses ultra-short electromagnetic waves, allowing for ultra-rapid photography.
A second is further subdivided by a factor of 1,000 in:
Microsecond (us.: a millionth)
Nanosecond (ns.: a billionth)
Picosecond (ps.: a trillionth)
Femtosecond (fs.: a quadrillionth)
"A scientifically defined second is different to the commonly used definition.")
If D-SP's idea that volume (space) is created by mass (matter/energy) then one would think of one molecule of hydrogen, or even a neutrino, as creating the minimal volume possible.
The scientific value of such proposition is that it eliminates in reality the arithmetical imaginary infiniteness of 'minimal volume.'
Parallel to the suggestion on volume, the minimal length would be defined by the shortest quantum particle, which would represent a "quantum of length."
Thus, a quantum of time would be the required for a photon to traverse a quantum of length.
The minimal weight is obtained in a way parallel to the former definitions.
The minimal mol posible is Avogadro's number divided by itself, which is just one molecule of any kind.