Coarse graining and decoherence in quantum field theory

Fernando Lombardo and Francisco D. Mazzitelli
Phys. Rev. D 53, 2001 – Published 15 February 1996
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Abstract

We consider a λφ4 theory in Minkowski spacetime. We compute a ‘‘coarse-grained effective action’’ by integrating out the field modes with a wavelength shorter than a critical value. From this effective action we obtain the evolution equation for the reduced density matrix (master equation). We compute the diffusion coefficients of this equation and analyze the decoherence induced on the long-wavelength modes. We generalize the results to the case of a conformally coupled scalar field in de Sitter spacetime. We show that the decoherence is effective as long as the critical wavelength is taken to be not shorter than the Hubble radius. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

  • Received 11 August 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.53.2001

©1996 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Fernando Lombardo

  • Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Francisco D. Mazzitelli

  • Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio, Casilla de Correo 67-Sucursal 28, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Vol. 53, Iss. 4 — 15 February 1996

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