Spontaneous Transitions in Quantum Mechanics

Abstract

The problem of spontaneous pair creation in static external fields is reconsidered. A weak version of the conjecture proposed by G Nenciu (1980) is seated and proved. The method reduces the proof of the general conjecture to the study of the evolution, associated with a time dependent Hamiltonian, of a vector which is eigenvector of this Hamiltonian at some given time. Possible ways of proving the general conjecture are discussed.