Lecture abstract

Time:   23. November 2018
Place:   Institute of Physics
Title:   Supplementary lectures for students (4): Unitarity in quantum mechanics
Abstract:
We will discuss the question whether or not quantum mechanics must be unitary, and precisely what is the relationship between unitarity and the conservation of probability. We will give a short recap of the density matrix formalism, then we will specify a more generic formulation of quantum mechanics with nonunitary evolution, and we will comment if and when it may or may not be unitary. If time permits, we will introduce the Lindblad equation, which represents the generalization of the ordinary Schrodinger equation and is important for the description of nonunitary processes in quantum mechanics.