The label internon (derived from the Latin, internus) refers to the classification of the dynamics of the time evolution of the state. We introduce two new classifications: internon for which there exists direct projection within the Hilbert space that defines the internon state and uniton for which there is no direct projection within the Hilbert space of the uniton.
Definition: A set of particles defined in a finite Hilbert space is an internon if there exists direct projection in the Hilbert space
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Internon projection is not a result of an additional external measurement or some external factor such as environmental decoherence.
Definition: An internon state is a class of quantum states that have common classical properties that are also enforced by projection into the Hilbert space of the set of particles composing the internon.
- Quantum states that have common properties is not sufficient to form an internon state; there must also be projection into the Hilbert space of the internon into these states.
- As a simple example, in the case of only two projection operators, the set of device states (there generally are more than a single device state) that represent the ready-state of the device is Internon State 1 and the set of device states that represent the device after it has registered a detection of the system is Internon State 2. There is an associated projection operator that projects the space of states into the ready-state and another projection operator that projects into the space of states that represents a detection.
Definition: If the particles’ that compose the internon have only a single internon state upon creation of the internon, the internon is termed trivial.
Definition: A transition into or out of an internon state is an internon transition.
Definition: A uniton is a particle set that is devoid of internon states.
- Note that a uniton is devoid of internon states due to the lack of direct projection in the Hilbert space of the uniton.
Examples of predictions of internon theory:
- Two particle sets that are separated by a sufficiently large distance (the distance is a predicted parameter in internon theory) cannot form a single internon. They could potentially form either two separate internons, two separate unitons, or for which one set is an internon and the other set is a uniton.
- If a particle set is not an internon, it is a uniton.
- A single photon is a uniton
- Atomic ionization is predicted through results in intermediate internon theory to constitute a fundamental internon transition
- A proton with bound electron is an internon state that is distinct from a proton with no bound electron
These examples will be further justified later as we continue to document the theory. For now, they are simply meant as illustrations or examples to aid in comprehending the basic definitions in internon theory.