Multichannel Decay: Alternative Derivation of the i-th Channel Decay Probability

Abstract

In the study of decays, it is quite common that an unstable quantum state/particle has multiple distinct decay channels. In this case, besides the survival probability $p(t)$, also the probability $w_{i}(t)$ that the decay occurs between $(0,t)$ in the $i$-th channel is a relevant object. The general form of the function $w_{i}(t)$ was recently presented in PLB \textbf{831} (2022), 137200. Here, we provide a novel and detailed `joint' derivation of both $p(t)$ and $w_{i}(t)$. As it is well known, $p(t)$ is not an exponential function; similarly, $w_{i}(t)$ is also not such. In particular, the ratio $w_{i}/w_{j}$ (for $i\neq j)$ is not a simple constant, as it would be in the exponential limit. The functions $w_{i}(t)$ and their mutual ratios may therefore represent a novel tool to study the non-exponential nature of the decay law.