Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2305.10476 · Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

Quantum to classical parton dynamics in QCD media

João Barata, Jean-Paul Blaizot, Yacine Mehtar-Tani

Published Jul 31, 2023• 8 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark propagating in a dense QCD medium where it undergoes elastic collisions (radiation is ignored in the present study). The medium is modeled as a stochastic color field with a Gaussian correlation function. This allows us to eliminate the medium degrees of freedom and obtain a simple master equation for the evolution of the reduced density matrix of the high energy quark, making use of approximations that are familiar in the description of open quantum systems. This master equation is solved analytically, and we demonstrate that its solution can be reconstructed from a simple Langevin equation. At late times, one finds that only the color singlet component of the density matrix survives the quark's propagation through the medium. The off-diagonal elements of the density matrix are suppressed successively in transverse position space and in momentum space, and they become independent of the details of the initial condition. This behavior is reflected in the corresponding von Neumann entropy, whose growth at late time is related to the increase of the classical phase space explored by the high energy quark in its motion through the medium. The interpretation of the Wigner transform as a classical distribution is further supported by the fact that the associated classical entropy coincides at late time with the von Neumann entropy.

DOI
10.1103/physrevd.108.014039

Related papers

Quantum to classical parton evolution in the QGP

João Barata, Jean-Paul Blaizot, Yacine Mehtar-Tani

We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark in the presence of a dense QCD background that is modeled as a stochastic Gaussian color field. At late times, we find that only the color singlet component of the quark's reduced density matrix survives the in-medium evolution and that the density matrix becomes asymptotically diagonal in both transverse position and momentum spaces. In addition, we observe an accelerated entropy growth due to the larger phase space being explored by the quark and that the quantum and classical quark entropies converge at late times. We further observe that the quark state loses all memory of the initial condition. Combined with the fact that the reduced density matrix satisfies Boltzmann-diffusion transport, we conclude that the quark reduced density matrix can be interpreted as a classical phase space distribution.

arXiv:2312.10236•Dec 15, 2023•0 citations

Quantum to classical parton evolution in the QGP

João Barata, Jean-Paul Blaizot, Yacine Mehtar-Tani

We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark in the presence of a dense QCD background that is modeled as a stochastic Gaussian color field. At late times, we find that only the color singlet component of the quark’s reduced density matrix survives the in-medium evolution and that the density matrix becomes asymptotically diagonal in both transverse position and momentum spaces. In addition, we observe an accelerated entropy growth due to the larger phase space being explored by the quark and that the quantum and classical quark entropies converge at late times. We further observe that the quark state loses all memory of the initial condition. Combined with the fact that the reduced density matrix satisfies Boltzmann-diffusion transport, we conclude that the quark reduced density matrix can be interpreted as a classical phase space distribution.

EPJ Web of Conferences•Jan 1, 2024•0 citations

Quarkonium dynamics inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma using open quantum systems

Stéphane Delorme, Thierry Gousset, Roland Katz +1 more

In recent years, a significant theoretical effort has been made towards a dynamical description of quarkonia inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), using the open quantum systems formalism. In this framework, one can get a real-time description of a quantum system (here the quarkonium) in interaction with a thermal bath (the QGP) by integrating out the bath degrees of freedom and studying the system reduced density matrix. We investigate the real-time dynamics of a correlated heavy quark-antiquark pair inside the QGP using a quantum master equation previously derived from first QCD principles in [4]. The full equation is directly resolved in 1D to lessen computing costs and is used for the first time to gain insight on the dynamics in both a static and evolving medium following a Björken-like temperature evolution.

EPJ Web of Conferences•Jan 1, 2022•2 citations

Quarkonium dynamics inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma using open quantum systems

Stéphane Delorme, Pol-Bernard Gossiaux, Thierry Gousset +1 more

\nIn recent years, a significant theoretical effort has been made towards a dynamical description of quarkonia inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), using the open quantum systems formalism. In this framework, one can get a real-time description of a quantum system (here the quarkonium) in interaction with a thermal bath (the QGP) by integrating out the bath degrees of freedom and studying the system reduced density matrix. We investigate the real-time dynamics of a correlated heavy quark-antiquark pair inside the QGP using a quantum master equation previously derived from first QCD principles in [4]. The full equation is directly resolved in 1D to lessen computing costs and is used for the first time to gain insight on the dynamics in both a static and evolving medium following a Björken-like temperature evolution.\n

•May 17, 2021•0 citations

Origin of the Covariant Wigner Operator as a Quantum Amplitude in QCD

Chueng‐Ryong Ji, Daniel Piasecki

The Wigner function plays a central role in QCD as a phase-space object encoding correlations among quarks, antiquarks, and gluons, yet its interpretation remains subtle due to its quasiprobabilistic nature and possible negativity. Recent work based on the Koopman–von Neumann–Sudarshan (KvNS) Hilbert space formulation of classical mechanics suggests the Wigner function arises as a quantum probability amplitude projected onto classical phase space, rather than a quasiprobability density. In the classical limit, this amplitude reduces to the classical Koopman wavefunction. In this work, we extend this perspective to relativistic QCD by constructing a Koopman description of the quark Wigner operator. We show that the Wigner operator is naturally isomorphic to a phase-space spinor, providing a unified framework in which both classical and quantum dynamics are expressed. Within this formulation, the Wigner function retains its interpretation as an amplitude even in the relativistic regime. This viewpoint clarifies the origin of negativity and other nonclassical features, and provides a more transparent foundation for parton distribution functions in QCD. Remarkably, the relativistic Koopman framework reproduces the classical limit of QCD.

arXiv:2604.01248•Symmetry•Jun 12, 2026•0 citations

Quantum Brownian motion of a heavy quark pair in the quark-gluon plasma

Takahiro Miura, Yukinao Akamatsu, Masayuki Asakawa +1 more

In this paper we study the real-time evolution of heavy quarkonium in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) on the basis of the open quantum systems approach. In particular, we shed light on how quantum dissipation affects the dynamics of the relative motion of the quarkonium state over time. To this end we present a novel nonequilibrium master equation for the relative motion of quarkonium in a medium, starting from Lindblad operators derived systematically from quantum field theory. In order to implement the corresponding dynamics, we deploy the well established quantum state diffusion method. In turn we reveal how the full quantum evolution can be cast in the form of a stochastic nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. This for the first time provides a direct link from quantum chromodynamics to phenomenological models based on nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations. Proof of principle simulations in one dimension show that dissipative effects indeed allow the relative motion of the constituent quarks in a quarkonium at rest to thermalize. Dissipation turns out to be relevant already at early times well within the QGP lifetime in relativistic heavy ion collisions.

arXiv:1908.06293•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Feb 11, 2020•61 citations
We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark propagating in a dense QCD medium where it undergoes elastic collisions (radiation is ignored in the present study). The medium is modeled as a stochastic color field with a Gaussian correlation function. This allows us to eliminate the medium degrees of freedom and obtain a simple master equation for the evolution of the reduced density matrix of the high energy quark, making use of approximations that are familiar in the description of open quantum systems. This master equation is solved analytically, and we demonstrate that its solution can be reconstructed from a simple Langevin equation. At late times, one finds that only the color singlet component of the density matrix survives the quark's propagation through the medium. The off-diagonal elements of the density matrix are suppressed successively in transverse position space and in momentum space, and they become independent of the details of the initial condition. This behavior is reflected in the corresponding von Neumann entropy, whose growth at late time is related to the increase of the classical phase space explored by the high energy quark in its motion through the medium. The interpretation of the Wigner transform as a classical distribution is further supported by the fact that the associated classical entropy coincides at late time with the von Neumann entropy.
We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark in the presence of a dense QCD background that is modeled as a stochastic Gaussian color field. At late times, we find that only the color singlet component of the quark's reduced density matrix survives the in-medium evolution and that the density matrix becomes asymptotically diagonal in both transverse position and momentum spaces. In addition, we observe an accelerated entropy growth due to the larger phase space being explored by the quark and that the quantum and classical quark entropies converge at late times. We further observe that the quark state loses all memory of the initial condition. Combined with the fact that the reduced density matrix satisfies Boltzmann-diffusion transport, we conclude that the quark reduced density matrix can be interpreted as a classical phase space distribution.
We study the time evolution of the density matrix of a high energy quark in the presence of a dense QCD background that is modeled as a stochastic Gaussian color field. At late times, we find that only the color singlet component of the quark’s reduced density matrix survives the in-medium evolution and that the density matrix becomes asymptotically diagonal in both transverse position and momentum spaces. In addition, we observe an accelerated entropy growth due to the larger phase space being explored by the quark and that the quantum and classical quark entropies converge at late times. We further observe that the quark state loses all memory of the initial condition. Combined with the fact that the reduced density matrix satisfies Boltzmann-diffusion transport, we conclude that the quark reduced density matrix can be interpreted as a classical phase space distribution.
In recent years, a significant theoretical effort has been made towards a dynamical description of quarkonia inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), using the open quantum systems formalism. In this framework, one can get a real-time description of a quantum system (here the quarkonium) in interaction with a thermal bath (the QGP) by integrating out the bath degrees of freedom and studying the system reduced density matrix. We investigate the real-time dynamics of a correlated heavy quark-antiquark pair inside the QGP using a quantum master equation previously derived from first QCD principles in [4]. The full equation is directly resolved in 1D to lessen computing costs and is used for the first time to gain insight on the dynamics in both a static and evolving medium following a Björken-like temperature evolution.
\nIn recent years, a significant theoretical effort has been made towards a dynamical description of quarkonia inside the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), using the open quantum systems formalism. In this framework, one can get a real-time description of a quantum system (here the quarkonium) in interaction with a thermal bath (the QGP) by integrating out the bath degrees of freedom and studying the system reduced density matrix. We investigate the real-time dynamics of a correlated heavy quark-antiquark pair inside the QGP using a quantum master equation previously derived from first QCD principles in [4]. The full equation is directly resolved in 1D to lessen computing costs and is used for the first time to gain insight on the dynamics in both a static and evolving medium following a Björken-like temperature evolution.\n
The Wigner function plays a central role in QCD as a phase-space object encoding correlations among quarks, antiquarks, and gluons, yet its interpretation remains subtle due to its quasiprobabilistic nature and possible negativity. Recent work based on the Koopman–von Neumann–Sudarshan (KvNS) Hilbert space formulation of classical mechanics suggests the Wigner function arises as a quantum probability amplitude projected onto classical phase space, rather than a quasiprobability density. In the classical limit, this amplitude reduces to the classical Koopman wavefunction. In this work, we extend this perspective to relativistic QCD by constructing a Koopman description of the quark Wigner operator. We show that the Wigner operator is naturally isomorphic to a phase-space spinor, providing a unified framework in which both classical and quantum dynamics are expressed. Within this formulation, the Wigner function retains its interpretation as an amplitude even in the relativistic regime. This viewpoint clarifies the origin of negativity and other nonclassical features, and provides a more transparent foundation for parton distribution functions in QCD. Remarkably, the relativistic Koopman framework reproduces the classical limit of QCD.
In this paper we study the real-time evolution of heavy quarkonium in the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) on the basis of the open quantum systems approach. In particular, we shed light on how quantum dissipation affects the dynamics of the relative motion of the quarkonium state over time. To this end we present a novel nonequilibrium master equation for the relative motion of quarkonium in a medium, starting from Lindblad operators derived systematically from quantum field theory. In order to implement the corresponding dynamics, we deploy the well established quantum state diffusion method. In turn we reveal how the full quantum evolution can be cast in the form of a stochastic nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. This for the first time provides a direct link from quantum chromodynamics to phenomenological models based on nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations. Proof of principle simulations in one dimension show that dissipative effects indeed allow the relative motion of the constituent quarks in a quarkonium at rest to thermalize. Dissipation turns out to be relevant already at early times well within the QGP lifetime in relativistic heavy ion collisions.