Bound State Internal Interactions as a Mechanism for Exponential Decay

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new mechanism involving internal interactions and virtual particles that explains exponential decay in quantum systems, offering solutions to longstanding theoretical issues without complex Hamiltonians.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical framework linking bound state interactions to exponential decay, bridging gaps in understanding decay processes in quantum mechanics.

Findings

Derives exponential decay probability from internal interactions.

Provides a new perspective on the continuum between controlled and uncontrolled decay.

Offers insights relevant to quantum computing and information processing.

Abstract

We hypothesize that the binding interactions among the components of bound systems and the background fields, sometimes known as virtual particle exchange, affect the state of the systems as do typical scattering interactions. Then with the assumption that the interior environment of unstable particles is disordered, we derive in the limit of continuous binding both an exactly exponential non-decay probability and Fermi's Golden Rule for the decay rates. The result suggests resolutions to several long-standing theoretical challenges associated with exponential decay in quantum mechanics, without appealing directly to non-Hermitian, approximate Hamiltonians or complex energies. It also contributes to a conceptual understanding of the continuum between controlled interactions that induce deviations from exponential decay, such as those in the Quantum Zeno Effect, and the uncontrolled internal dynamics of excited atoms and nuclei, which exhibit no such deviations. Finally, we examine how the binding interactions responsible for the general exponential character of decay for bound systems differ from the couplings with decay products that control decay rates, providing insight into challenges in quantum computing and information processing.