Spurious indications of energetic consequences of decoherence at short times for scattering from open quantum systems

Abstract

Dreismann, Gray and Blach (DGB) have claimed that neutron scattering from molecular hydrogen at energy transfers E sufficiently large to break the H-H bond, gives E ∼3% larger than predicted by conventional quantum theory. DGB presented this claim as the first experimental evidence for energetic consequences of decoherence of quantum entangled particles due to interactions with the environment. It is shown here this claim is entirely spurious. DGB obtained disagreement with conventional theory by changing the geometrical description of the Vesuvio instrument at ISIS, they used to collect their data. Instead of using the default scattering angles obtained from neutron diffraction, DGB used scattering angles obtained using a steel rule and protractor. DGB then manufactured apparent but in fact completely spurious evidence for quantum decoherence effects from the large measurement errors in the scattering angles they used. These give shifts to both higher and lower E than predicted by conventional quantum theory. DGB simply ignored detectors giving shifts to lower values of E. DGB also ignored previously published H 2 data that clearly contradict their claim. Copyright 2012 Author(s).