Relativistic motion in a constant electromagnetic field

DOI10.1063/1.3064796zbMATH Open1189.78008arXiv0809.0859OpenAlexW2071422708MaRDI QIDQ3650864FDOQ3650864

Authors: Siu A. Chin 

Publication date: 7 December 2009

Published in: Journal of Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: For a relativistic charged particle moving in a constant electromagnetic field, its velocity 4-vector has been well studied. However, despite the fact that both the electromagnetic field and the equations of motion are purely real, the resulting 4-velocity is seemingly due to a complex electromagnetic field. This work shows that this is not due to some complex formalism used (such as Clifford algebra) but is intrinsically due to the fact that the $o(3,1)$ Lie algebra of the Lorentz group is equivalent to two commuting complex $su(2)$ algebras. Expressing the complex $su(2)$ generators in terms of the boost and rotation operators then naturally introduces a complex electromagnetic field. This work solves the equation of motion not as a matrix equation, but as an operator evolution equation in terms of the generators of the Lorentz group. The factorization of the real evolution operator into two commuting complex evolution operators then directly gives the time evolution of the velocity 4-vector without any reference to an intermediate field.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.0859

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zbMATH Keywords

Lie algebraselectromagnetic fieldsoperator evolution equationSU(2) theoryfactorization of the real evolution operator into two commuting complex evolution operators

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Motion of charged particles (78A35) Electromagnetic fields in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C50) Relativistic dynamics for problems in Hamiltonian and Lagrangian mechanics (70H40) Clifford algebras, spinors (15A66)

Cites Work

• On the Numerical Integration of Ordinary Differential Equations by Symmetric Composition Methods
• Group-theoretical analysis of elementary particles in an external electromagnetic field
• Relativistic dynamics of charges in external fields: the Pauli algebra approach
• Recent progress in the theory and application of symplectic integrators
• Fourth-order symplectic integration
• Lie series and invariant functions for analytic symplectic maps
• Exponentiation of the spinor representation of the Lorentz group
• A THOUGHTFUL STUDY OF LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS BY CLIFFORD ALGEBRAS
• Orbits of Charged Particles in Constant Fields

Cited In (7)

• Motion of a relativistic charge in electromagnetic field.
• Relativistic brachistochrones under electric or gravitational uniform fields
• Solution of the problem of charge motion in crossed electric and magnetic fields
• Trajectories for relativistic particles under the action of an electromagnetic field in a stationary space-time
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• A study of the motion of a relativistic continuous medium

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