Mixed states for reference frames transformations

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Fiore, Gaetano, Lizzi, Fedele
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Fiore, Gaetano
Lizzi, Fedele
author_facet Fiore, Gaetano
Lizzi, Fedele
contents We discuss the concept of transformations among reference frames (classical or quantum). Usually transformations among classical reference frames have sharply defined parameters; geometrically they can be considered as {pure states in the parameters' space, and they form a group. It is however possible that the distributions in the parameters' space are mixed states; such states form a semigroup. Similarly, transformations among quantum reference frames can be either pure or mixed. This gives rise to interesting consequences: the state of a system can be pure with respect to a reference frame and mixed with respect to another; we concretely discuss this in the framework of Galilei transformations in 1+1 dimensions. In particular, if the state of a reference frame with respect to another frame is thermal at some temperature, a quantum particle in the pure (improper) rest state with respect to the first frame will appear in a thermal state with a related nonzero temperature with respect to the other. This can also be discussed in relation to the time/energy uncertainty relation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_05758
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Mixed states for reference frames transformations
Fiore, Gaetano
Lizzi, Fedele
Quantum Physics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Mathematical Physics
Group Theory
We discuss the concept of transformations among reference frames (classical or quantum). Usually transformations among classical reference frames have sharply defined parameters; geometrically they can be considered as {pure states in the parameters' space, and they form a group. It is however possible that the distributions in the parameters' space are mixed states; such states form a semigroup. Similarly, transformations among quantum reference frames can be either pure or mixed. This gives rise to interesting consequences: the state of a system can be pure with respect to a reference frame and mixed with respect to another; we concretely discuss this in the framework of Galilei transformations in 1+1 dimensions. In particular, if the state of a reference frame with respect to another frame is thermal at some temperature, a quantum particle in the pure (improper) rest state with respect to the first frame will appear in a thermal state with a related nonzero temperature with respect to the other. This can also be discussed in relation to the time/energy uncertainty relation.
title Mixed states for reference frames transformations
topic Quantum Physics
High Energy Physics - Theory
Mathematical Physics
Group Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05758