English

Collapses and Avoiding Wave Function Spreading

Quantum Physics 2014-08-14 v1 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We address the impossibility of achieving exact time reversal in a system with many degrees of freedom. This is a particular example of the difficult task of "aiming" an initial classical state so as to become a specific final state. We also comment on the classical-to-quantum transition in any non-separable closed system of n2n \geq 2 degrees of freedom. Even if the system is initially in a well defined WKB, semi-classical state, quantum evolution and, in particular, multiple reflections at classical turning points make it completely quantum mechanical with each particle smeared almost uniformly over all the configuration space. The argument, which is presented in the context of nn hard discs, is quite general. Finally, we briefly address more complex quantum systems with many degrees of freedom and ask when can they provide an appropriate environment to the above simpler systems so that quantum spreading is avoided by continuously leaving "imprints" in the environment. We also discuss the possible connections with the pointer systems that are needed in the quantum-to-classical "collapse" transitions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1408.3097,
  title  = {Collapses and Avoiding Wave Function Spreading},
  author = {Aharon Casher and Shmuel Nussinov and Jeffrey Tollaksen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1408.3097},
  year   = {2014}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-22T05:28:10.542Z