Brownian motion, quantum corrections and a generalization of the Hermite polynomials

Abstract

The nonequilibrium evolution of a Brownian particle, in the presence of a “heat bath” at thermal equilibrium (without imposing any friction mechanism from the outset), is considered. Using a suitable family of orthogonal polynomials, moments of the nonequilibrium probability distribution for the Brownian particle are introduced, which fulfill a recurrence relation. We review the case of classical Brownian motion, in which the orthogonal polynomials are the Hermite ones and the recurrence relation is a three-term one. After having performed a long-time approximation in the recurrence relation, the approximate nonequilibrium theory yields irreversible evolution of the Brownian particle towards thermal equilibrium with the “heat bath”. For quantum Brownian motion, which is the main subject of the present work, we restrict ourselves to include the first quantum correction: this leads us to introduce a new family of orthogonal polynomials which generalize the Hermite ones. Some general properties of the new family are established. The recurrence relation for the new moments of the nonequilibrium distribution, including the first quantum correction, turns out to be also a three-term one, which justifies the new family of polynomials. A long-time approximation on the new three-term recurrence relation describes irreversible evolution towards equilibrium for the new moment of lowest order. The standard Smoluchowski equations for the lowest order moments are recovered consistently, both classically and quantum-mechanically.