SpAcetime Foam as a Quantum Thermal Bath

An effective model for the spacetime foam is constructed in terms of nonlocal interactions in a classical background. In the weak-coupling approximation, the evolution of the low-energy density matrix is determined by a master equation that predicts loss of quantum coherence. Moreover, spacetime foa...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Garay, Luis Javier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:1998
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/100763
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/100763
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:[PACS] Quantum gravity
[PACS] Foundations, theory of measurement, miscellaneous theories
[PACS] Spacetime topology, causal structure, spinor structure
[PACS] Quantum aspects of black holes, evaporation, thermodynamics
Descripción
Sumario:An effective model for the spacetime foam is constructed in terms of nonlocal interactions in a classical background. In the weak-coupling approximation, the evolution of the low-energy density matrix is determined by a master equation that predicts loss of quantum coherence. Moreover, spacetime foam can be described by a quantum thermal field that, apart from inducing loss of coherence, gives rise to effects such as gravitational Lamb and Stark shifts as well as quantum damping in the evolution of the low-energy observables. © 1998 The American Physical Society