Prolegomena to a non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics

Abstract

We suggest that the framework of quantum information theory, which has been developing rapidly in recent years due to intense activity in quantum computation and quantum communication, is a reasonable starting point to study non-equilibrium quantum statistical phenomena. As an application, we discuss the non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics of black hole formation and evaporation.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX with elsart.cls, 8 postscript figures. Special issue on quantum computation of Chaos, Solitons, and Fractal