Gamow Vectors and Time Asymmetry

We prove that Gamow vectors are important toolsin the quantum theory of irreversibility. We use themathematical formalism of rigged Hilbert spaces. Wediscuss some spectral formulas that include Gamow vectors as well as some results concerningGamow vectors. The role of the time-reversal operator isstudied. The formalism can be applied to formulate asense of irreversibility in cosmology.     

Vector states for single and multiple-pole resonances

The formulation of quantum mechanics in rigged Hilbert spaces is used to study the vector states for resonance states or Gamow vectors. An important part of the work is devoted to the construction of Gamow vectors for resonances that appear as multiple poles on the analytic continuation of theS-matrix,S(E). The kinematical behavior of these vectors is also studied. This construction allow for generalized spectral decompositions of the Hamiltonian and the evolutionary semigroups, valid on certain locally convex spaces. Also a first attempt is made to define the resonance states as densities in an extension of the Liouville space, here called rigged Liouville space.     

Quantum Mechanics and Its Evolving Formulations

In this paper, we discuss the time evolution of the quantum mechanics formalism. Starting from the heroic beginnings of Heisenberg and Schrödinger, we cover successively the rigorous Hilbert space formulation of von Neumann, the practical bra-ket formalism of Dirac, and the more recent rigged Hilbert space approach.     

Relativistic Gamow Vectors

Whereas in Dirac quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory one uses Schwartz space distributions, the extensions of the Hilbert space that we propose uses Hardy spaces. The in- and out-Lippmann-Schwinger kets of scattering theory are functionals in two rigged Hilbert space extensions of the same Hilbert space. This hypothesis also allows to introduce generalized vectors corresponding to unstable states, the Gamow kets. Here the relativistic formulation of the theory of unstable states is presented. It is shown that the relativistic Gamow vectors of the unstable states, defined by a resonance pole of the S-matrix, are classified according to the irreducible representations of the semigroup of the Poincaré transformations (into the forward light cone). As an application the problem of the mass definition of the intermediate vector boson Z is discussed and it is argued that only one mass definition leads to the exponential decay law, and that is not the standard definition of the on-the-mass-shell renormalization scheme.     

Rigged Hilbert spaces and time asymmetry: The case of the upside-down simple harmonic oscillator

The upside-down simple harmonic oscillator system is studied in the contexts of quantum mechanics and classical statistical mechanics. It is shown that in order to study in a simple manner the creation and decay of a physical system by way of Gamow vectors we must formulate the theory in a time-asymmetric fashion, namely using two different rigged Hilbert spaces to describe states evolving toward the past and the future. The spaces defined in the contexts of quantum and classical statistical mechanics are shown to be directly related by the Wigner function.     

Arrow of Time in Rigged Hilbert Space Quantum Mechanics

Arno Bohm and Ilya Prigogine's Brussels–Austin Group have been working on the quantum mechanical arrow of time and irreversibility in rigged Hilbert space quantum mechanics. A crucial notion in Bohm's approach is the so-called preparation/registration arrow. An analysis of this arrow and its role in Bohm's theory of scattering is given. Similarly, the Brussels–Austin Group uses an excitation/de-excitation arrow for ordering events, which is also analyzed. The relationship between the two approaches is initially discussed focusing on their semi-group operators and time arrows. Finally a possible realist interpretation of the rigged Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics is considered.     

Jordan blocks and exponentially decaying higher-order Gamow states

In the framework of the rigged Hilbert space, unstable quantum systems associated with first-order poles of the analytically continued S-matrix can be described by Gamow vectors which are generalized vectors with exponential decay and a Breit-Wigner energy distribution. This mathematical formalism can be generalized to quasistationary systems associated with higher-order poles of the S-matrix, which leads to a set of Gamow vectors of higher order with a non-exponential time evolution. One can define a state operator from the set of higher-order Gamow vectors which obeys the exponential decay law. We shall discuss to what extent the requirement of an exponential time evolution determines the form of the state operator for a quasistationary microphysical system associated with a higher-order pole of the S-matrix. Dedicated to Professor L. P. Horwitz on the occasion of his 65th birthday, October 14, 1995.     

Complex energies and beginnings of time suggest a theory of scattering and decay

Many useful concepts for a quantum theory of scattering and decay (like Lippmann-Schwinger kets, purely outgoing boundary conditions, exponentially decaying Gamow vectors, causality) are not well defined in the mathematical frame set by the conventional (Hilbert space) axioms of quantum mechanics. Using the Lippmann-Schwinger equations as the takeoff point and aiming for a theory that unites resonances and decay, we conjecture a new axiom for quantum mechanics that distinguishes mathematically between prepared states and detected observables. Suggested by the two signs ±i? of the Lippmann-Schwinger equations, this axiom replaces the one Hilbert space of conventional quantum mechanics by two Hardy spaces. The new Hardy space theory automatically provides Gamow kets with exponential time evolution derived from the complex poles of the S-matrix. It solves the causality problem since it results in a semigroup evolution. But this semigroup brings into quantum physics a new concept of the semigroup time t = 0, a beginning of time. Its interpretation and observations are discussed in the last section.     

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory

The problems which arise for a relativistic quantum mechanics are reviewed and critically examined in connection with the foundations of quantum field theory. The conflict between the quantum mechanical Hilbert space structure, the locality property and the gauge invariance encoded in the Gauss' law is discussed in connection with the various quantization choices for gauge fields.     

de Broglie-Bohm formulation of quantum mechanics, quantum chaos and breaking of time-reversal invariance

A recently developed unified theory of classical and quantum chaos, based on the de Broglie-Bohm (Hamilton-Jacobi) formulation of quantum mechanics is presented and its consequences are discussed. The quantum dynamics is rigorously defined to be chaotic if the Lyapunov number, associated with the quantum trajectories in de Broglie-Bohm phase space, is positive definite. This definition of quantum chaos which under classical conditions goes over to the well-known definition of classical chaos in terms of positivity of Lyapunov numbers, provides a rigorous unified definition of chaos on the same footing for both the dynamics. A demonstration of the existence of positive Lyapunov numbers in a simple quantum system is given analytically, proving the existence of quantum chaos. Breaking of the time-reversal symmetry in the corresponding quantum dynamics under chaotic evolution is demonstrated. It is shown that the rigorous deterministic quantum chaos provides an intrinsic mechanism towards irreversibility of the Schrodinger evolution of the wave function, without invoking ‘wave function collapse’ or ‘measurements’     

Relativistic quantum mechanics of spin-zero and spin-half particles

We consider the quantum mechanics of directly interacting relativistic particles of spin-zero and spin-half. We introduce a scalar product in the vector space of physical states which is finite, positive definite and relativistically invariant and keeps orthogonal eigenstates of total four momentum belonging to different eigenvalues. This allows us to show that the vector space of physical states is, in fact, a Hilbert space. The case of two particles is explicitly considered and the Cauchy problem of physical wave function illustrated. The problem of a spin-1/2 particle interacting with a spin-zero particle is considered and a new equation is proposed for two spin-1/2 particles interacting via the most general form of interaction possible. The restrictions due to Hermiticity, space inversion and time reversal invariance are also considered.     

Decoherence,correlation, and unstable quantum states in semiclassical cosmology

As almost any S-matrix of quantum theory possesses a set of complex poles (or branch cuts), it is shown using one example that this is the case in quantum field theory in curved space-time. These poles can be transformed into complex eigenvalues, the corresponding eigenvectors being Gamow vectors. This formalism, which is heuristic in ordinary Hilbert space, becomes a rigorous one within the framework of a properly chosen rigged Hilbert space. Then complex eigenvalues produce damping or growing factors and a typical two semigroups structure. It is known that the growth of entropy, decoherence, and the appearance of correlations, occur in the universe evolution, but this fact is demonstrated only under a restricted set of initial conditions. It is proved that the damping factors are mathematical tools that allow one to enlarge the set.     

Time Asymmetry and Quantum Theory of Resonances and Decay

These notes review a consistent and exact theory of quantum resonances and decay. Such a theory does not exist in the framework of traditional quantum mechanics and Dirac's formulation. But most of its ingredients have been familiar entities, like the Gamow vectors, the Lippmann-Schwinger (in- and out-plane wave) kets, the Breit-Wigner (Lorentzian) resonance amplitude, the analytically continued S-matrix, and its resonance poles. However, there are inconsistencies and problems with these ingredients: exponential catastrophe, deviations from the exponential law, causality, and recently the ambiguity of the mass and width definition for relativistic resonances. To overcome these problems the above entities will be appropriately defined (as mathematical idealizations). For this purpose we change just one axiom (Hilbert space and/or asymptotic completeness) to a new axiom which distinguishes between (in-)states and (out)observables using Hardy spaces. Then we obtain a consistent quantum theory of scattering and decay which has the Weisskopf-Wigner methods of standard textbooks as an approximation. But it also leads to time-asymmetric semigroup evolution in place of the usual, reversible, unitary group evolution. This, however, can be interpreted as causality for the Born probabilities. Thus we obtain a theoretical framework for the resonance and decay phenomena which is a natural extension of traditional quantum mechanics and possesses the same arrow-of-time as classical electrodynamics. When extended to the relativistic domain, it provides an unambiguous definition for the mass and width of the Z-boson and other relativistic resonances.     

Completeness of the Coulomb scattering wave functions

The completeness of the eigenfunctions of a self-adjoint Hamiltonian, which is the basic ingredient of quantum mechanics, plays an important role in nuclear reaction and nuclear-structure theory. Here we present the first formal proof of the completeness of the two-body Coulomb scattering wave functions for a repulsive unscreened Coulomb potential using Newton’s method (R. Newton, J. Math. Phys. 1, 319 (1960)). The proof allows us to claim that the eigenfunctions of the two-body Hamiltonian, with the potential given by the sum of the repulsive Coulomb plus short-range (nuclear) potentials, form a complete set. It also allows one to extend Berggren’s approach for the modification of the complete set of eigenfunctions by including the resonances for charged particles. We also demonstrate that the resonant Gamow functions with Coulomb tail can be regularized using Zel’dovich’s regularization method. Communicated by U.-G. Meiβner For the continuum spectrum the eigenfunctions are not square-integrable, strictly speaking we need to use a rigged Hilbert space which extends the normal Hilbert space by bringing together the discrete and continuum spectrum eigenstates.     

Localization of Non-Relativistic Particles

This paper is a contribution to the problem of particle localization in non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Our main results will be (1) to formulate the problem of localization in terms of invariant subspaces of the Hilbert space, and (2) to show that the rigged Hilbert space incorporates particle localization in a natural manner.     

The Physical Mechanism of Formation of Quantum Mechanical Gamow States

No Heading A new construction of quantum mechanical Gamow states is presented. The physical nature of these states is revealed without introducing the notion of complex energy. In the presented aproach the time reversal is a linear transformation instead of the customary antilinear one. Also the Fourier integral solution of the free nonrelativistic wave equation contains both positive and negative frequencies.     

Generalized Complex Spectral Decomposition for a Quantum Decay Process

By extending the notion of mixed states to functionals acting on the space of observables with diagonal singularity we obtain a well-defined complex spectral decomposition of the time evolution for a quantum decaying system. In this formalism, generalized Gamow states are obtained with well-defined physical properties.     

Entanglement of Formation of an Arbitrary State of Two Rebits

We consider entanglement for quantum states defined in vector spaces over the real numbers. Such real entanglement is different from entanglement in standard quantum mechanics over the complex numbers. The differences provide insight into the nature of entanglement in standard quantum theory. Wootters [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2245 (1998)] has given an explicit formula for the entanglement of formation of two qubits in terms of what he calls the concurrence of the joint density operator. We give a contrasting formula for the entanglement of formation of an arbitrary state of two rebits, a rebit being a system whose Hilbert space is a 2-dimensional real vector space.     

Nonlinear and linear wave phenomena in narrow pipes

Phenomena arising in the course of wave propagation in narrow pipes are considered. For nonlinear waves described by the generalized Webster equation, a simplified nonlinear equation is obtained that allows for low-frequency geometric dispersion causing an asymmetric distortion of the periodic wave profile, which qualitatively resembles the distortion of a nonlinear wave in a diffracted beam. Tunneling of a wave through a pipe constriction is investigated. Possible applications of the phenomenon are discussed, and its relation to the problems of quantum mechanics because of the similarity of the basic equations of the Klein-Gordon and Schrödinger types is pointed out. The importance of studying the tunneling of nonlinear waves and broadband signals is indicated.