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arXiv:gr-qc/9309012 · Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

Unitarity and causality in generalized quantum mechanics for nonchronal spacetimes

James B. Hartle

Published Jun 15, 1994• 69 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Spacetime must be foliable by spacelike surfaces for the quantum mechanics of matter fields to be formulated in terms of a unitarily evolving state vector defined on spacelike surfaces. When a spacetime possesses nonchronal regions which cannot be foliated by spacelike surfaces, as in the case of spacetimes with closed timelike curves, a more general formulation of quantum mechanics is required. In such generalizations the transition matrix between alternatives on two spacelike surfaces lying in regions of spacetime where foliating families can be defined may be nonunitary if a nonchronal region lies between them. This paper describes a sum-over-histories generalized quantum mechanics whose probabilities consistently obey the rules of probability theory even in the presence of such nonunitarity. The usual notion of state on a spacelike surface is lost in this generalization. Anomalies such as nonconservation of energy or "Everett phones" that are exhibited by some generalizations of quantum mechanics are not found in this one. However, the generalization is acausal in the sense that the existence of nonchronal regions of spacetime in the future can affect the probabilities of alternatives today and signaling outside the light cone is possible. The detectability of nonunitary evolution and violations of causality in measurement situations are briefly considered.

DOI
10.1103/physrevd.49.6543

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Spacetime must be foliable by spacelike surfaces for the quantum mechanics of matter fields to be formulated in terms of a unitarily evolving state vector defined on spacelike surfaces. When a spacetime possesses nonchronal regions which cannot be foliated by spacelike surfaces, as in the case of spacetimes with closed timelike curves, a more general formulation of quantum mechanics is required. In such generalizations the transition matrix between alternatives on two spacelike surfaces lying in regions of spacetime where foliating families can be defined may be nonunitary if a nonchronal region lies between them. This paper describes a sum-over-histories generalized quantum mechanics whose probabilities consistently obey the rules of probability theory even in the presence of such nonunitarity. The usual notion of state on a spacelike surface is lost in this generalization. Anomalies such as nonconservation of energy or "Everett phones" that are exhibited by some generalizations of quantum mechanics are not found in this one. However, the generalization is acausal in the sense that the existence of nonchronal regions of spacetime in the future can affect the probabilities of alternatives today and signaling outside the light cone is possible. The detectability of nonunitary evolution and violations of causality in measurement situations are briefly considered.
Familiar textbook quantum mechanics assumes a fixed background spacetime to define states on spacelike surfaces and their unitary evolution between them. Quantum theory has changed as our conceptions of space and time have evolved. But quantum mechanics needs to be generalized further for quantum gravity where spacetime geometry is fluctuating and without definite value. This paper reviews a fully four-dimensional, sum-over-histories, generalized quantum mechanics of cosmological spacetime geometry. This generalization is constructed within the framework of generalized quantum theory. This is a minimal set of principles for quantum theory abstracted from the modern quantum mechanics of closed systems, most generally the universe. In this generalization, states of fields on spacelike surfaces and their unitary evolution are emergent properties appropriate when spacetime geometry behaves approximately classically. The principles of generalized quantum theory allow for the further generalization that would be necessary were spacetime not fundamental. Emergent spacetime phenomena are discussed in general and illustrated with the example of the classical spacetime geometries with large spacelike surfaces that emerge from the `no-boundary' wave function of the universe. These must be Lorentzian with one, and only one, time direction. The essay concludes by raising the question of whether quantum mechanics itself is emergent.
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Familiar textbook quantum mechanics assumes a fixed background spacetime to define states on spacelike surfaces and their unitary evolution between them. Quantum theory has changed as our conceptions of space and time have evolved. But quantum mechanics needs to be generalized further for quantum gravity where spacetime geometry is fluctuating and without definite value. This paper reviews a fully four-dimensional, sum-over-histories, generalized quantum mechanics of cosmological spacetime geometry. This generalization is constructed within the framework of generalized quantum theory. This is a minimal set of principles for quantum theory abstracted from the modern quantum mechanics of closed systems, most generally the universe. In this generalization, states of fields on spacelike surfaces and their unitary evolution are emergent properties appropriate when spacetime geometry behaves approximately classically. The principles of generalized quantum theory allow for the further generalization that would be necessary were spacetime not fundamental. Emergent spacetime phenomena are discussed in general and illustrated with the example of the classical spacetime geometries with large spacelike surfaces that emerge from the `no-boundary' wave function of the universe. These must be Lorentzian with one, and only one, time direction. The essay concludes by raising the question of whether quantum mechanics itself is emergent.
These are the author's lectures at the 1992 Les Houches Summer School, "Gravitation and Quantizations". They develop a generalized sum-over-histories quantum mechanics for quantum cosmology that does not require either a preferred notion of time or a definition of measurement. The "post-Everett" quantum mechanics of closed systems is reviewed. Generalized quantum theories are defined by three elements (1) the set of fine-grained histories of the closed system which are its most refined possible description, (2) the allowed coarse grainings which are partitions of the fine-grained histories into classes, and (3) a decoherence functional which measures interference between coarse grained histories. Probabilities are assigned to sets of alternative coarse-grained histories that decohere as a consequence of the closed system's dynamics and initial condition. Generalized sum-over histories quantum theories are constructed for non-relativistic quantum mechanics, abelian gauge theories, a single relativistic world line, and for general relativity. For relativity the fine-grained histories are four-metrics and matter fields. Coarse grainings are four-dimensional diffeomorphism invariant partitions of these. The decoherence function is expressed in sum-over-histories form. The quantum mechanics of spacetime is thus expressed in fully spacetime form. The coarse-grainings are most general notion of alternative for quantum theory expressible in spacetime terms. Hamiltonian quantum mechanics of matter fields with its notion of unitarily evolving state on a spacelike surface is recovered as an approximation to this generalized quantum mechanics appropriate for those initial conditions and coarse-grainings such that spacetime geometry
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