On the existence of quantum subdynamics

Abstract

It is shown, using only elementary operator algebra, that an open quantum system coupled to its environment will have a subdynamics (reduced dynamics) as an exact consequence of the reversible dynamics of the composite system only when the states of system and environment are uncorrelated. Furthermore, it is proved that for a finite temperature the KMS condition for the lowest-order correlation function cannot be reproduced by any type of linear subdynamics except the reversible Hamiltonian one of a closed system. The first statement can be seen as a particular case of a more general theorem of Takesaki on the properties of conditional expectations in von Neumann algebras. The concept of subdynamics used here allows for memory effects, no assumption is made of a Markov property. For dynamical systems based on commutative algebras of observables the subdynamics always exists as a stochastic process in the random variable defining the open subsystem.