The central role of the Hamiltonian in quantum mechanics: decoherence and interpretation

OLIMPIA LOMBARDI

MANUSCRITO

UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS

Lugar: CAMPINAS; Año: 2010 vol. 33 p. 307 - 349

0100-6045

The core of the environment-induced decoherence program relies on the interaction between the system and its environment; this interaction leads interference to vanish with respect to a definite “preferred basis”. On the other hand, modal interpretations of quantum mechanics supply criteria to select the “preferred context”, where observables acquire definite values. The purpose of this paper is to show the compatibility between the modal interpretative framework and the results of the decoherence program, a compatibility that comes to the light when the Hamiltonian is conceived as the main character of the quantum play.