Decoherence in an interacting quantum field theory: Thermal case

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.83.085011· OSTI ID:21541531

Koksma, Jurjen F; Prokopec, Tomislav; Schmidt, Michael G ^[1]

---

1. Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) and Spinoza Institute, Utrecht University, Postbus 80195, 3508 TD Utrecht (Netherlands)

We study the decoherence of a renormalized quantum field theoretical system. We consider our novel correlator approach to decoherence where entropy is generated by neglecting observationally inaccessible correlators. Using out-of-equilibrium field theory techniques at finite temperatures, we show that the Gaussian von Neumann entropy for a pure quantum state asymptotes to the interacting thermal entropy. The decoherence rate can be well described by the single particle decay rate in our model. Connecting to electroweak baryogenesis scenarios, we moreover study the effects on the entropy of a changing mass of the system field. Finally, we compare our correlator approach to existing approaches to decoherence in the simple quantum mechanical analogue of our field theoretical model. The entropy following from the perturbative master equation suffers from physically unacceptable secular growth.

• OSTI ID: 21541531
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 83; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECAY
ENTROPY
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
EVALUATION
FIELD THEORIES
MASS
MECHANICS
PARTICLE DECAY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUANTUM DECOHERENCE
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RENORMALIZATION
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES