1993/02/10 by E. Calzetta, Calzetta, E., B. L. Hu +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc) #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.gr-qc/9302013
28 pages, (To appear in {\em Directions in General Relativity}, College Park, May 1993, Volume 2, edited by B. L. Hu and T. A. Jacobson (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1993)) (LaTeX file)
arxiv created 1993/02/10 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
We use a λΦ4 scalar quantum field theory to illustrate a new approach to the study of quantum to classical transition. In this approach, the decoherence functional is employed to assign probabilities to consistent histories defined in terms of correlations among the fields at separate points, rather than the field itself. We present expressions for the quantum amplitudes associated with such histories, as well as for the decoherence functional between two of them. The dynamics of an individual consistent history may be described by a Langevin-type equation, which we derive. \noindent \it Dedicated to Professor Brill on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, August 1993