arXiv subjects

Mario Castagnino

Publications and source records attributed to Mario Castagnino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2015

Quantum to classical limit of open systems

We present a complete review of the quantum-to-classical limit of open systems by means of the theory of decoherence and the use of the Weyl-Wigner-Moyal (WWM) transformation. We show that the analytical extension of the Hamiltonian provides a set of poles that can be used to (a) explain the non-unitary evolution of the relevant system and (b) completely define the set of preferred states that constitute the mixture into which the system decoheres: the Moving Preferred Basis. Moreover, we show that the WWM of these states are the best candidates to obtain the trajectories in the classical phase-space.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Interpretations of Quantum Theory in the Light of Modern Cosmology

The difficult issues related to the interpretation of quantum mechanics and, in particular, the "measurement problem" are revisited using as motivation the process of generation of structure from quantum fluctuations in inflationary cosmology. The unessential mathematical complexity of the particular problem is bypassed, facilitating the discussion of the conceptual issues, by considering, within the paradigm set up by the cosmological problem, another problem where symmetry serves as a focal point: a simplified version of Mott's problem.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

On the classical limit of quantum mechanics, fundamental graininess and chaos: compatibility of chaos with the correspondence principle

The aim of this paper is to review the classical limit of Quantum Mechanics and to precise the well known threat of chaos (and fundamental graininess)to the correspondence principle. We will introduce a formalism for this classical limit that allows us to find the surfaces defined by the constants of the motion in phase space. Then in the integrable case we will find the classical trajectories, and in the non-integrable one the fact that regular initial cells become "amoeboid-like". This deformations and their consequences can be considered as a threat to the correspondence principle unless we take into account the characteristic timescales of quantum chaos. Essentially we present an analysis of the problem similar to the one of Omnès [10,11], but with a simpler mathematical structure.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

A semiclassical condition for chaos based on Pesin theorem

A semiclassical method to determine if the classical limit of a quantum system is chaotic or not, based on Pesin theorem, is presented. The method is applied to a phenomenological Gamow--type model and it is concluded that its classical limit is chaotic.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

A Quantum Version of The Spectral Decomposition Theorem of Dynamical Systems, Quantum Chaos Hierarchy: Ergodic, Mixing and Exact

In this paper we study Spectral Decomposition Theorem [1] and translate it to quantum language by means of the Wigner transform. We obtain a quantum version of Spectral Decomposition Theorem (QSDT) which enables us to achieve three distinct goals: First, to rank Quantum Ergodic Hierarchy levels [2,3]. Second, to analyze the classical limit in quantum ergodic systems and quantum mixing systems. And third, and maybe most important feature, to find a relevant and simple connection between the first three levels of quantum ergodic hierarchy (ergodic, exact and mixing) and quantum spectrum. Finally, we illustrate the physical relevance of QSDT applying it to two examples: Microwave billiards [4,5] and a phenomenological Gamow model type [6,7].

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Decoherence: a closed-system approach

The aim of this paper is to review a new perspective about decoherence, according to which formalisms originally devised to deal just with closed or open systems can be subsumed under a closed-system approach that generalizes the traditional account of the phenomenon. This new viewpoint dissolves certain conceptual difficulties of the orthodox open-system approach but, at the same time, shows that the openness of the quantum system is not the essential ingredient for decoherence, as commonly claimed. Moreover, when the behavior of a decoherent system is described from a closed-system perspective, the account of decoherence turns out to be more general than that supplied by the open-system approach, and the quantum-to-classical transition defines unequivocally the realm of classicality by identifying the observables with classical-like behavior.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Towards a definition of the Quantum Ergodic Hierarchy: Kolmogorov and Bernoulli systems

In this paper we translate the two higher levels of the Ergodic Hierarchy [1], the Kolmogorov level and the Bernoulli level, to quantum language. Moreover, this paper can be considered as the second part of [2]. As in paper [2], we consider the formalism where the states are positive functionals on the algebra of observables and we use the properties of the Wigner transform [3]. We illustrate the physical relevance of the Quantum Ergodic Hierarchy with two emblematic examples of the literature: the Casati-Prosen model [4], [5] and the kicked rotator [6], [7], [8].

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Formal features of a General Theoretical Framework for Decoherence in open and closed systems

Two complementary decoherence formalisms, Environment Induced Decoherence (EID) for open systems and Self Induced Decoherence (SID) for close systems are compared under a common General Theoretical Formalism for Decoherence (GTFD). The differences and similarities of EID and SID are studied, e. g. that the main difference is that EID only considers the relevant information of the proper system S and neglects the rest, while SID considers all possible information available from a certain class of measurement instruments and neglects the non available information.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians in decoherence and equilibrium theory

There are many formalisms to describe quantum decoherence. However, many of them give a non general and ad hoc definition of "pointer basis" or "moving preferred basis", and this fact is a problem for the decoherence program. In this paper we will consider quantum systems under a general theoretical framework for decoherence and we will present a tentative definition of the moving preferred basis. These ideas are implemented in a well-known open system model. The obtained decoherence and the relaxation times are defined and compared with those of the literature for the Lee- Friedrichs model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

The observable-state model and non-renormalizable theories

The aim of this work is to apply the observable-state model for the quantum field theory of a ϕ^n self- interaction. We show how to obtain finite values for the 2-point and n-point correlation functions without introducing counterterms in the Lagrangian. Also, we show how to obtain the renormalization group equation for the mass and the coupling constant. Finally, we found the dependence of the coupling constant with the energy scale and we discuss the validity of the observable-state model in terms of the projection procedure.

math-ph↗

arXiv2012

Two Theorems on Flat Space-Time Gravitational Theories

The first theorem states that all flat space-time gravitational theories must have a Lagrangian with a first term that is an homogeneous (degree-I) function of the 4-velocity $u^i$, plus a functional of $η_{ij}u^i u^j$. The second theorem states that all gravitational theories that satisfy the strong equivalence principle have a Lagrangian with a first term $g_{ij}(x)u^i u^j$ plus an irrelevant term. In both cases the theories must issue from a unique variational principle. Therefore, under this condition it is impossible to find a flat space-time theory that satisfies the strong equivalence principle.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Renormalization: the observable-state model Part II

The purpose of this work is to rewrite the generating functional of phi^4 theory for the n = 0 and n = 4 correlation functions as the inner product of a state with an observable, as we did in [J. S. Ardenghi, M. Castagnino, Phys. Rev. D, 85, 025002, (2012)] for the two-points correlation function. The observables are defined through the external sources and the states are defined through the correlation function itself. In this sense, the divergences of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) appear in the reduced state by taking the partial trace of the state with respect to the internal vertices that appear in the perturbation expansion. From this viewpoint, the renormalization can be substituted by applying a projector on the internal quantum state. The advantage of this new insight is that we can obtain finite contributions of the correlation functions without introducing counterterms in the Lagrangian or by manipulating complex divergent quantities.

math-ph↗

arXiv2011

Renormalization: the observable-state model

The usual mathematical formalism of quantum field theory is non-rigorous because it contains divergences that can only be renormalized by non-rigorous mathematical methods. The purpose of this paper is to present a method of subtraction of this divergences using the formalism of decoherence. This is achieved by replacing the standard renormalization method by a projector on a well defined Hilbert subspace. In this way a list of problems of the standard formalism disappears while the physical results of QFT remains valid. From it own nature, this formalism can be used in non-renormalizable theories.

math-ph↗

arXiv2011

New bases for a general definition for the moving preferred basis

One of the challenges of the Environment-Induced Decoherence (EID) approach is to provide a simple general definition of the moving pointer basis or moving preferred basis. In this letter we prove that the study of the poles that produce the decaying modes in non-unitary evolution, could yield a general definition of the relaxation, the decoherence times, and the moving preferred basis. These probably are the most important concepts in the theory of decoherence, one of the most relevant chapters of theoretical (and also practical) quantum mechanics. As an example we solved the Omnes (or Lee-Friedrich) model using our theory.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Modal Hamiltonian interpretation of quantum mechanics and Casimir operators: the road towards quantum field theory

The general aim of this paper is to extend the Modal-Hamiltonian interpretation of quantum mechanics to the case of relativistic quantum mechanics with gauge U(1) elds. In this case we propose that the actual- valued observables are the Casimir operators of the Poincaré group and of the group U(1) of the internal symmetry of the theory. Moreover, we also show that the magnitudes that acquire actual values in the relativistic and in the non-relativistic cases are correctly related through the adequate limit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

On a possible definition of the moving preferred basis

There are many formalisms to describe quantum decoherence. However, many of them give a non general and ad hoc definition of "pointer basis" or "moving preferred basis", and this fact is a problem for the decoherence program. In this paper we will consider quantum systems under a general theoretical framework for decoherence and present a tentative very general definition of the moving preferred basis. which is implemented in a well known open system model. The obtained decoherence and the relaxation times are defined and compared with those of this model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

Predicting decoherence in discrete models

The general aim of this paper is to supply a method to decide whether a discrete system decoheres or not, and under what conditions decoherence occurs, with no need of appealing to computer simulations to obtain the time evolution of the reduced state. In particular, a lemma is presented as the core of the method.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2010

The non-relativistic limit of (central-extended) Poincare group and some consequences for quantum actualization

The nonrelativistic limit of the centrally extended Poincaré group is considered and their consequences in the modal Hamiltonian interpretation of quantum mechanics are discussed [ O. Lombardi and M. Castagnino, Stud. Hist. Philos. Mod. Phys 39, 380 (2008) ; J. Phys, Conf. Ser. 128, 012014 (2008) ]. Through the assumption that in quantum field theory the Casimir operators of the Poincaré group actualize, the nonrelativistic limit of the latter group yields to the actualization of the Casimir operators of the Galilei group, which is in agreement with the actualization rule of previous versions of modal Hamiltonian interpretation [ Ardenghi et al., Found. Phys. (submitted) ]

math-ph↗