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Fundamental Loss of Quantum Coherence from Quantum Gravity

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The Arrows of Time

Part of the book series: Fundamental Theories of Physics ((FTPH,volume 172))

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Abstract

We discuss the fundamental loss of unitarity that appears in quantum mechanics when one uses physically realistic devices to measure time and space. The effect is independent of any interaction with the environment and appears in addition to any usual environmental decoherence. We discuss the conceptual and potential experimental implications of this process of decoherence.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by grants NSF-PHY0650715, and by funds of the Horace C. Hearne Jr. Institute for Theoretical Physics, PEDECIBA (Uruguay), FQXi, the University of California and CCT-LSU.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Rodolfo Gambini

  2. School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA

    Rafael A. Porto

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-4001, USA

    Jorge Pullin

Authors
  1. Rodolfo Gambini
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  2. Rafael A. Porto
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  3. Jorge Pullin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rodolfo Gambini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 27599-3255, North Carolina, USA

    Laura Mersini-Houghton

  2. Posener Str. 85, Bietigheim-Bissingen, 74321, Germany

    Rudy Vaas

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Gambini, R., Porto, R.A., Pullin, J. (2012). Fundamental Loss of Quantum Coherence from Quantum Gravity. In: Mersini-Houghton, L., Vaas, R. (eds) The Arrows of Time. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 172. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23259-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23259-6_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-23258-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-23259-6

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