English

Does Quantum Chaos Explain Quantum Statistical Mechanics?

Condensed Matter 2008-02-03 v2 chao-dyn High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory Chaotic Dynamics

Abstract

If a many-body quantum system approaches thermal equilibrium from a generic initial state, then the expectation value ψ(t)Aiψ(t)\langle\psi(t)|A_i|\psi(t)\rangle, where ψ(t)|\psi(t)\rangle is the system's state vector and AiA_i is an experimentally accessible observable, should approach a constant value which is independent of the initial state, and equal to a thermal average of AiA_i at an appropriate temperature. We show that this is the case for all simple observables whenever the system is classically chaotic.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9410046,
  title  = {Does Quantum Chaos Explain Quantum Statistical Mechanics?},
  author = {Mark Srednicki},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9410046},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

8 pages in RevTeX 3.0; revised version contains an improved discussion of quantum chaos more accessible to nonspecialists