Abstract:
The dynamics of a particle interacting with a random classical field in a two-well potential is studied by the functional integration method. The probability of particle localization in either of the wells is studied in detail. Certain field-averaged correlation functions for quantum-mechanical probabilities and the distribution function for the probabilities of final states (which can be considered as random variables in the presence of a random field) are calculated. The calculated correlators are used to discuss the dependence of the final state on the initial state. One of the main results of this work is that, although the off-diagonal elements of the density matrix disappear with time, a particle in the system is localized incompletely (wave-packet reduction does not occur), and the distribution function for the probability of finding particle in one of the wells is a constant at infinite time.