Evolution of quantum non-equilibrium for coupled harmonic oscillators

Abstract

In the context of de Broglie–Bohm pilot-wave theory, violations of the Born rule are allowed and can be considered as describing non-equilibrium distributions. We study the effects of interactions on quantum relaxation towards equilibrium for a system of one-dimensional coupled harmonic oscillators. We show by numerical simulations that interactions can delay or even prevent complete relaxation for some initial states. We also discuss how this effect might be relevant for cosmological scenarios and how non-equilibrium could be detected in some models.