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arXiv:2310.14411 · AIP conference proceedings

Violation of the Einstein’s equivalence principle for a composite quantum body

A. G. Lebed

Published Jan 1, 2023• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Recently, we have started to investigate behavior of a composite quantum body in an external gravitational field in the framework of General Relativity [see, for a review, A. G. Lebed, Mod. Phys. Lett. A, {\bf 35}, 2030010 (2020)]. As the simplest example, we have considered a hydrogen atom in a weak gravitational field. Our results are the following. The Einstein's Equivalence Principle survives for the most of macroscopic ensembles of the atoms, containing the stationary quantum states. On the other hand, we have demonstrated that this principle is sometimes broken. In particular, it is broken for the so-called Gravitational demons, which are the coherent macroscopic ensembles of two or more stationary quantum states in the hydrogen atoms. In the above cited paper we have considered the Gedanken experiment, where the gravitational field is suddenly switched on in a free from gravitation space. In the current paper we consider the much more realistic from experimental point of view Gedanken experiment and come to the same conclusion about violations of the Einstein's Equivalence Principle for the Gravitational demons.

DOI
10.1063/5.0163651

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Recently, we have started to investigate behavior of a composite quantum body in an external gravitational field in the framework of General Relativity [see, for a review, A. G. Lebed, Mod. Phys. Lett. A, {\bf 35}, 2030010 (2020)]. As the simplest example, we have considered a hydrogen atom in a weak gravitational field. Our results are the following. The Einstein's Equivalence Principle survives for the most of macroscopic ensembles of the atoms, containing the stationary quantum states. On the other hand, we have demonstrated that this principle is sometimes broken. In particular, it is broken for the so-called Gravitational demons, which are the coherent macroscopic ensembles of two or more stationary quantum states in the hydrogen atoms. In the above cited paper we have considered the Gedanken experiment, where the gravitational field is suddenly switched on in a free from gravitation space. In the current paper we consider the much more realistic from experimental point of view Gedanken experiment and come to the same conclusion about violations of the Einstein's Equivalence Principle for the Gravitational demons.
The simplest quantum composite body, a hydrogen atom, is considered in the presence of a weak external gravitational field. We define an operator for the passive gravitational mass of the atom in the post-Newtonian approximation of the general relativity and show that it does not commute with its energy operator. Nevertheless, the equivalence between the expectation values of the mass and energy is shown to survive at a macroscopic level for stationary quantum states. Breakdown of the equivalence between passive gravitational mass and energy at a microscopic level for stationary quantum states can be experimentally detected by studying unusual electromagnetic radiation, emitted by the atoms, supported by and moving in the Earth's gravitational field with constant velocity, using spacecraft or satellite.
Recently, a publication has appeared that supports the common belief that Einstein’s Equivalence Principle survives for both classical and quantum composite bodies. In contrast, we show that although it holds for classical composite bodies, the Equivalence Principle is broken for composite quantum objects due to the effects of quantum memory. Using the simple example of a hydrogen atom, we demonstrate that the Equivalence Principle is broken for this electron and proton system. We argue that this happens for any composite quantum body.
It is shown that weight operator of a composite quantum body in a weak external gravitational field in the post-Newtonian approximation of the General Relativity does not commute with its energy operator, taken in the absence of the field. Nevertheless, the weak equivalence between the expectations values of weight and energy is shown to survive at a macroscopic level for stationary quantum states for the simplest composite quantum body - a hydrogen atom. Breakdown of the weak equivalence between weight and energy at a microscopic level for stationary quantum states can be experimentally detected by studying unusual electromagnetic radiation, emitted by the atoms, supported and moved in the Earth gravitational field with constant velocity, using spacecraft or satellite. For superpositions of stationary quantum states, a breakdown of the above mentioned equivalence at a macroscopic level leads to time dependent oscillations of the expectation values of weight, where the equivalence restores after averaging over time procedure.
Abstract We define passive gravitational mass operator of a hydrogen atom in the post-Newtonian approximation of general relativity and show that it does not commute with energy operator, taken in the absence of gravitational field. Nevertheless, the equivalence between the expectation values of passive gravitational mass and energy is shown to survive for stationary quantum states. Inequivalence between passive gravitational mass and energy at a macroscopic level results in time dependent oscillations of the expectation values of passive gravitational mass for superpositions of stationary quantum states, where the equivalence restores after averaging over time. Inequivalence between gravitational mass and energy at a microscopic level reveals itself as unusual electromagnetic radiation, emitted by the atoms, supported and moved in the Earth gravitational field with constant velocity using spacecraft or satellite, which can be experimentally measured.
We define passive gravitational mass operator of the simplest composite quantum body - a hydrogen atom - to be proportional to its weight operator in a weak gravitational field. Although it does not commute with energy operator, taken in the absence of the field, the equivalence between the expectation value of passive gravitational mass and energy is shown to survive for stationary quantum states. All the so-called relativistic corrections to electron energy in a hydrogen atom are taken into account in the calculations.
Abstract We propose an experimental test of the quantum equivalence principle introduced by Zych and Brukner (arXiv: 1502.00971 ), which generalises the Einstein equivalence principle to superpositions of internal energy states. We consider a harmonically trapped spin ‐ 1 2 atom in the presence of both gravity and an external magnetic field and show that when the external magnetic field is suddenly switched off, various violations of the equivalence principle would manifest as otherwise forbidden transitions. Performing such an experiment would put bounds on the various phenomenological violating parameters. We further demonstrate that the classical weak equivalence principle can be tested by suddenly putting the apparatus into free fall, effectively ‘switching off’ gravity.