Time Asymmetry and Quantum Theory of Resonances and Decay

Nimrod Moiseyev, Romanas Narevich

H. D. Zeh

Viatcheslav Mukhanov

Arno Böhm, Hani Kaldass, Soliman R. Komy

It is explained how the unification of resonance and decay phenomena into a consistent mathematical theory leads to quantum mechanical time-asymmetry. This provides the theoretical basis for a subsequent paper II in which the interpretation and experimental demonstration of this time-asymmetry is discussed.

Piotr Kielanowski

A. R. Bohm, Mark Loewe, Bryan Van De Ven

A slight modification of one axiom of quantum theory changes a reversible theory into a time asymmetric theory. Whereas the standard Hilbert space axiom does not distinguish mathematically between the space of states (in-states of scattering theory) and the space of observables (out-“states ” of scattering theory) the new axiom associates states and observables to two different Hardy subspaces which are dense in the same Hilbert space and analytic in the lower and upper complex energy plane, respectively. As a consequence of this new axiom the dynamical equations (Schrödinger or Heisenberg) integrate to a semigroup evolution. Extending this new Hardy space axiom to a relativistic theory provides a relativistic theory of resonance scattering and decay with Born probablilities that fulfill Einstein causality and the exponential decay law. 1 Introduction—Time Asymmetry Time asymmetry, irreversibility, time reversal non-invariance are different concepts and they are (probably) not (all) related to each other [1], [2], [3]. These concepts are usually called arrows-of-time. Time asymmetry comes from time asymmetric boundary conditions of time symmetric equations; its most prominent consequence is causality. The radiation arrow of time is its example from classical physics. Irreversibility