The possible role of decoherence due to space-time foam is discussed within the context of two models, one based on string/brane theory. and the other based on properties of black hole horizons in general relativity. It is argued that the density matrix satisfies a dissipative master equation, primarily from the study of renormalization group flows in non-critical string theory.This interpretation of the zero mode of the Liouville field as time leads necessarily to the CPT operator being ill defined. One striking consequence is that the quantum mechanical correlations of pair states of neutral mesons produced in meson factories are changed from the usual EPR state. The magnitude of this departure from EPR correlations is characterised by a parameter
ω. The predicted value of
ω is very small or zero. However it is shown explicitly that the the non-vanishing of
ω is only a feature of the model based on string/brane theory.
If there is CPT violation, the nature of entanglement for neutral meson pairs produced in meson factories may, on general grounds, be affected. The new form of entanglement is the omega effect. Gravitational decoherence, due to spacetime foam, may be one route for deviations from CPT invariance. Two models of spacetime foam are considered. One, based on non-critical string theory, is able to produce the new correlations in a natural way. The other, based on the paradigm of thermal-like baths, is shown to be surprisingly resistant to producing the effect even on exercising a total freedom of choice for the state of the bath.
In this brief review I discuss ways and tests of CPT-Violation in the context of quantum gravity theories with space-time foam vacua, which entail quantum decoherence of matter propagating in such backgrounds. I cover a wide variety of sensitive probes, ranging from cosmic neutrinos to meson factories. I pay particular emphasis on associating the latter with specific, probably unique ('smoking-gun'), effects of this type of CPT Violation, related to a modification of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlations in the entangled states of the relevant neutral mesons. I also present some semi-microscopic estimates of these latter effects, in the context of a specific string-inspired model of space-time foam ('D-particle foam').
In this review we first discuss the string theoretical motivations for induced decoherence and deviations from ordinary quantum-mechanical behaviour; this leads to intrinsic CPT violation in the context of an extended class of quantum-gravity models. We then proceed to a description ofprecision tests of CPT symmetry and quantum mechanics using mainly neutral kaons and neutrinos. We also emphasize the possibly unique role of neutral meson factories in providing specific tests of models where the quantum-mechanical CPT operator is not well-defined, leading to modifications of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen particle correlators. Finally, we discuss experimental probes of decoherence in a cosmological context, including studies of dissipative relaxation models of dark energy in the context of non-critical (non-equilibrium) string theory and the associated modifications of the Boltzmann equation for the evolution of species abundances.
We discuss two classes of semimicroscopic theoretical models of stochastic spacetime foam in quantum gravity and the associated effects on entangled states of neutral mesons, signalling an intrinsic breakdown of
CPT invariance. One class of models deals with a specific model of foam, initially constructed in the context of noncritical (Liouville) string theory, but viewed here in the more general context of effective quantum-gravity models. The relevant Hamiltonian perturbation, describing the interaction of the meson with the foam medium, consists of off-diagonal stochastic metric fluctuations, connecting distinct mass eigenstates (or the appropriate generalization thereof in the case of
K-mesons), and it is proportional to the relevant momentum transfer (along the direction of motion of the meson pair). There are two kinds of
CPT-violating effects in this case, which can be experimentally disentangled: one (termed ``$\ensuremath{\omega}$-effect'') is associated with the failure of the indistinguishability between the neutral meson and its antiparticle, and affects certain symmetry properties of the initial state of the two-meson system; the second effect is generated by the time evolution of the system in the medium of the spacetime foam, and can result in time-dependent contributions of the $\ensuremath{\omega}$-effect type in the time profile of the two-meson state. Estimates of both effects are given, which show that, at least in certain models, such effects are not far from the sensitivity of experimental facilities available currently or in the near future. The other class of quantum-gravity models involves a medium of gravitational fluctuations which behaves like a ``thermal bath''. In this model both of the above-mentioned intrinsic
CPT violation effects are not valid.
In this review we discuss the string theoretical motivations for induced decoherence and deviations from ordinary quantum-mechanical behaviour; this leads to intrinsic CPT violation in the context of an extended class of quantum-gravity models. We proceed to a description of precision tests of CPT symmetry and quantum mechanics using mainly neutral kaons and neutrinos. We emphasize the possibly unique rôle of neutral meson factories in providing tests of models where the quantum-mechanical CPT operator is not well-defined, leading to modifications of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen particle correlators. Finally, we discuss experimental probes of decoherence in cosmology, including studies of dissipative relaxation models of dark energy in non-critical (non-equilibrium) string theory and the associated modifications of the Boltzmann equation for the evolution of species abundances.