Short-time behavior of unstable systems in field theory and proton decay

Journal Article · Mon Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.2687· OSTI ID:5805285

Bernardini, C; Maiani, L; Testa, M ^[1]

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1. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma La Sapienza,'' Sezione Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare di Roma, piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma (Italy)

The short-time behavior of an unstable particle is examined in a realistic field theoretical model. The onset of linear decreasing of the nondecay probability is shown to be extremely rapid, so rapid as to exclude any relevance of regimes quadratic in time ( Zeno'' quantum paradox). The result applies to super-renormalizable, renormalizable, and nonrenormalizable cases, particularly to the proton decay problem. We discuss also the deviations from the exponential decay law in small-[ital Q]-value decays.

• OSTI ID: 5805285
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 71:17; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

662110* -- General Theory of Particles & Fields-- Theory of Fields & Strings-- (1992-)
662360 -- Decays of Baryons-- (1992-)
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BARYONS
BOUND STATE
DECAY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
HADRONS
INSTABILITY
NUCLEONS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PROBABILITY
PROTONS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
RENORMALIZATION