Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 15: ISPS Intersectional Poster Session
DY 15.19: Poster
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 18:00–20:00, P1
Equilibration of the harmonic oscillator from non-thermal initial states — •Daniel Pagel1, Andreas Alvermann2, and Holger Fehske1 — 1Institut für Physik, Universität Greifswald, Deutschland — 2Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Quantum dissipation can be studied in a microscopic setting with the well known model of a central oscillator coupled linearly to a bath of harmonic oscillators. By making use of operator equations of motion we study the long time behaviour of the central oscillator density matrix. Applying general non-thermal initial states we show that only weak conditions on the initial preparation are necessary for the central oscillator to equilibrate. The stationary density matrix in the long time limit is then characterized by a parameter which can be identified as the 'temperature' of the central oscillator. We thus provide an example of how the thermodynamics of the canonical ensemble can be obtained from a purely microcanonical description.