METRIC FLUCTUATIONS, THERMODYNAMICS, AND CLASSICAL PHYSICS - A PROPOSED CONNECTION

Citation
As. Chaves et al., METRIC FLUCTUATIONS, THERMODYNAMICS, AND CLASSICAL PHYSICS - A PROPOSED CONNECTION, Annals of physics, 231(1), 1994, pp. 174-184
Citations number
52
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
ISSN journal
00034916
Volume
231
Issue
1
Year of publication
1994
Pages
174 - 184
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-4916(1994)231:1<174:MFTACP>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
Quantum fluctuations on the metrics of three-space are supposed to uni versally affect the time evolution of the systems. The Schrodinger equ ation is modified to account for these fluctuations and the density ma trix of one-particle system, in the coordinates representation, is cal culated by using Feynman's path integral method. The evolution is nonu nitary, although preserving the initial normalization of the wavefunct ion. This leads initially to loss of quantum coherence and increase of entropy. For longer times the system loses its quantum interference p roperties, thus becoming classical. All that can happen very fast for macroscopic systems. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.