False and genuine decoherence in the early universe: a local observer and time-averaged observables

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Autori principali: Sano, Fumiya, Tokuda, Junsei
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Sano, Fumiya
Tokuda, Junsei
author_facet Sano, Fumiya
Tokuda, Junsei
contents We study quantum decoherence of curvature perturbations at superhorizon scales caused by the gravitational nonlinearities. We show that cubic gravitational couplings, constrained by the spatial diffeomorphism invariance, lead to infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) divergences in the decoherence rate at one loop. These divergences arise from fluctuations of deep IR modes which look like a background mode for a local observer and violent zero-point fluctuations in the deep UV, respectively. We argue that these divergences are unobservable, as they vanish when considering proper observables. We consider correlators defined using the geodesic distance for IR divergences and time-averaged correlators for UV divergences. To account for these observer's perspectives, we propose to consider an effective quantum state, defined in terms of actual observables, as a more appropriate probe of the quantum coherence of the system measured by an observer. We then evaluate the finite decoherence rate induced by superhorizon environment during inflation and at late universe.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_10472
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle False and genuine decoherence in the early universe: a local observer and time-averaged observables
Sano, Fumiya
Tokuda, Junsei
High Energy Physics - Theory
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We study quantum decoherence of curvature perturbations at superhorizon scales caused by the gravitational nonlinearities. We show that cubic gravitational couplings, constrained by the spatial diffeomorphism invariance, lead to infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) divergences in the decoherence rate at one loop. These divergences arise from fluctuations of deep IR modes which look like a background mode for a local observer and violent zero-point fluctuations in the deep UV, respectively. We argue that these divergences are unobservable, as they vanish when considering proper observables. We consider correlators defined using the geodesic distance for IR divergences and time-averaged correlators for UV divergences. To account for these observer's perspectives, we propose to consider an effective quantum state, defined in terms of actual observables, as a more appropriate probe of the quantum coherence of the system measured by an observer. We then evaluate the finite decoherence rate induced by superhorizon environment during inflation and at late universe.
title False and genuine decoherence in the early universe: a local observer and time-averaged observables
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.10472