An Application of the Madelung Formalism for Dissipating and Decaying Systems

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the modeling and analysis of quantum dissipation and diffusion phenomena in the Schrödinger picture. We derive and investigate in detail the Schrödinger-type equations accounting for dissipation and diffusion effects. From a mathematical viewpoint, this equation allows one to achieve and analyze all aspects of the quantum dissipative systems, regarding the wave equation, Hamilton–Jacobi and continuity equations. This simplification requires the performance of “the Madelung decomposition” of “the wave function”, which is rigorously attained under the general Lagrangian justification for this modification of quantum mechanics. It is proved that most of the important equations of dissipative quantum physics, such as convection-diffusion, Fokker–Planck and quantum Boltzmann, have a common origin and can be unified in one equation.

Keywords

• decaying systems
• Schrödinger equation
• Madelung formulation