Origin of the Arrow of Time in Quantum Mechanics
Fuente:
arXiv
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| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2023
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| _version_ | 1866929405151936512 |
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| author | Kaloper, Nemanja |
| author_facet | Kaloper, Nemanja |
| contents | We point out that time's arrow is naturally induced by quantum mechanical evolution, whenever the systems have a very large number ${\cal N}$ of non-degenerate states and a Hamiltonian bounded from below. When ${\cal N}$ is finite, the arrow is imperfect, since evolution can resurrect past states. In the limit ${\cal N} \rightarrow \infty$ the arrow is fixed by the "tooth of time": the decay of excited states induced by {\it spontaneous emission} to the ground state, mediated by interactions and a large number of decay products which carry energy and information to infinity. This applies to individual isolated atoms, and does not require a coupling to a separate large heath bath. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2305_15468 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Origin of the Arrow of Time in Quantum Mechanics Kaloper, Nemanja High Energy Physics - Theory Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Quantum Physics We point out that time's arrow is naturally induced by quantum mechanical evolution, whenever the systems have a very large number ${\cal N}$ of non-degenerate states and a Hamiltonian bounded from below. When ${\cal N}$ is finite, the arrow is imperfect, since evolution can resurrect past states. In the limit ${\cal N} \rightarrow \infty$ the arrow is fixed by the "tooth of time": the decay of excited states induced by {\it spontaneous emission} to the ground state, mediated by interactions and a large number of decay products which carry energy and information to infinity. This applies to individual isolated atoms, and does not require a coupling to a separate large heath bath. |
| title | Origin of the Arrow of Time in Quantum Mechanics |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Theory Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology Quantum Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15468 |