Slowing of decay processes by interactions with a medium
Abstract
A particle that decays by the simplest interaction into two other particles is placed in a space-periodic external potential that acts only on the initial particle. For a strong potential, the decay rate is slowed drastically under most initial conditions. Comparing to the second-order perturbation treatment of a model where the decaying particle is imbedded in a medium of heavy, uncorrelated particles, noninteracting except for a potential interaction with the decaying particle, we find similar rate modifications. There exist possible applications in the supernova and early Universe environment, as well as possible laboratory demonstrations of the effect, which bears some relationship to the 'quantum Zeno' effect.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.2457
- Bibcode:
- 1992PhRvL..69.2457S
- Keywords:
-
- Coulomb Potential;
- Particle Interactions;
- Schroedinger Equation;
- Supernovae;
- Universe;
- Decay Rates;
- Hamiltonian Functions;
- Many Body Problem;
- Wave Functions;
- 03.65.Ge;
- Physics (General);
- Solutions of wave equations: bound states