title: Decoherence via the dynamical casimir effect
abstract: We derive a master equation for a mirror interacting with the vacuum field via radiation pressure. The dynamical Casimir effect leads to decoherence of a superposition state in a time scale that depends on the degree of "macroscopicity" of the state components, and which may be much shorter than the relaxation time scale. Coherent states are selected by the interaction as pointer states.
authors.affiliation: T-6, Theoretical Division, MS B288, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dalvit
authors.lastname: Maia Neto PA